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1 

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4 

5 

6 

JVi, '  irJfl S'.n  tSaru-VSmltr^lf^ 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


str 


iuauvLouiii  nA 


N 


D 


u    i  LUi  uj 


AND 


EARiy  (KSIOBY  OF  MINNEAPOLIS. 


BY 


JOH"    ^i     '^^tEVENS. 


WriH    P.lOCRAPnirAl.    I-tEMORANDA  AND  LETTn^S 

TO  COI,  ■;   H.  STEVENS,  SELECTED 

RV  MARSHALL  ROBINSON. 


MllV^-       POLIS,    M^NN. 
1890. 


,^.:.^-.,  . 


>*^ 


jBj^ 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


m; 


OF 


Minnesota  and  Its  People, 


AND 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  MINNEAPOLIS, 


BY 


JOHN    H.   STEVENS. 


WITH   BIOGRAPHICAL  MEMORANDA  AND  LETTERS 

TO  COL.  JOHN  H.  STEVENS,  SELECTED 

BY  MARSHALL  ROBINSON. 


MINNEAPOLIS,    MtnN. 


1890. 


COPVHIlVHTKll    1  S'.tO 

IIV 

.M.\KSII.\1-I.     KiiHIN^ciN. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


I  essay  to  write  something  of  my  personal  recollections  and 
present  knowledge  of  Minnesota  and  its  people .    Living  alone, 
as  to  white  men,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,' 
I  preempted  a  part  of  the  present  site  of  Minneapolis.     I  have 
witnessed  wonderful  transformations.     With  such  aid  as  I  can 
command,  I  commence  the  relation  I  have  long  contemplated, 
as  one  of  love  and  legacy  to  such  patient  and  charitable  readers 
as  I  may  have.    A  multitude  of  loved  ones  have  gone  before, 
but  many  remain.     In  spirit  they  are  equally  present  and  in 
view.    Heroes  of  the  past,  brave  men  of  the  present,  many  of 
themwere,andare.  Blessed  is  their  memory,  and  their  presence. 


TABLE  OF  SOME  OF  THE  CONTENTS. 


Subjects. 

Introduction  and  Preliminary. 

With  the  Army  in  Mexico,  1846,  1847  and  1848 

Attention  directed  to  Minnesota 

The  AVonderland  of  tlio  Northwest 

On  the  way  to  Minnesota 

Prominent  organizers  of  Minnesota  Territory 

Black  Hawk  battle-ground 

From  LaCrosse  to  St.  Paul  by  Uie  early  river  boats 

Little  Crow's  village  of  Kaposia,  five  miles  below  St.  Paul 

First  sight  of  St.  Paul 

Pre-Territorial  Settlers 

First  visit  to  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony 

First  permanent  claim  at  the  Fall  of  St.  Anthony 

Expedition  to  Coon  Creek 

Missionary  Fred  Ayer 

The  present  site  of  Minneapolis 

Winnebago  Indians  encamped  at  Minnehaha  Falls 

Franklin  Steele  and  Fort  Snelling 

Officers  at  Fort  Snelling 

My  Claim  that  became  my  home  at  St.  Anthony  Falls 

Some  of  my  Indian  guests 

The  Pioneer  Editor  of  Minnesota,  James  M.  Goodhue 

A  tribute  to  the  noble  men  who  have  passed  away 

The  caravan  of  ox-carts  from  the  Eed  Kiver  of  the  North 

Visit  of  Mrs.  Snelling  to  the  Fort 

Rev.  E.  D.  Neill 

First  session  of  the  Territorial  Legislature 

Philander  Prescott 


Page. 

1 

2 
3 
4 

5 
6 
7 
9 
10 
11 
13 
14 
17 
18 
20 
22 
24 
25 
28 
29 
32 
34 
35 
38 
39 
42 
43 


II. 


TXhU:   OF   CONTKNTS. 


SUHJKCTH.  PaOK. 

A  Frontier  Wt'ddiii^                              -                        -  46 

(hiiuo  in  tin?  early  dayn               -                         -  40 

The  early  MiHHionfiries.                  Illusf iuti<tn  61 

Big  Tlunuler,  the  fiither  of  Little  Crow                    -  66 

Wild  Food  of  MinneHota             -  61 

PioneerH  of  Stillwater                           -                       -  66 

Frontier  Dancing  Party             -                         -  67 

A  j)henonionid  winter                              -                         .  fi9 

Ewjuiniaux  diHpatcheH  by  dog-tnun  from  I'einlnnn  7' 

The  first  pioneer  white  lady  of  original  MinneapoliH  77 

EnthnsiaHni  for  Minnesota         .-                         -  78 

Minnesota  climate  banishes  cholera                             -  81 

First  town  election  in  St.  Paul        -                -  82 

Moving  into  the  first  house  in  Minn(>apolis  84 

My  old  farm  where  Minneapolis  now  is                   -  86 

Native  onk  groves  Avhere  the  town  was  laid  out  86 
MissFriulrika  Bremer  the  Swedish  authoress,  at  the  Falls  89 
Arrivals  during  IM?  and  IHoO                     -                     91.     92 

Some  of  the  first  r.unisters  of  the  Gospel  at  the  Falls  92 

Manner  of  colonizing                  -                         -  95 

Pioneer  school  teacher  in  Minnesota                            -  96 

A  winter  journey  to  Washington                      -  97 

An  interview  with  Daniel  Webster                              -  1©0 

Statesmen  of  forty  years  ago  -  102 
The  first  white  child  born  in  what  is  now  Minneapolis        104 

The  first  churches  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  108 
Organization  of  Board  of  Regents  of  the  State  University  109 

The  first  merchants  at  the  Falls                               -  114 

Our  first  grist  mills                  -                        -  115 

An  important  treaty  with  the  Dakota  Indians  116 

The  first  farmers  aboiit  the  Falls                -                -  120 

Enthusiasm,  fascination,  and  romance  of  frontier  life  122 

A  wild  deer  on  Spirit  Island,  and  bears  at  Rice  lake  124 

Indians  encamped  at  the  Falls  -  -  126 
Costume  of  the  Dakota  squaws,  and  behaviour  of  Indians  127 

Seeking  a  name  for  the  new  town                      -  128 

First  claims  on  the  west  side  of  the  Falls  129 

First  public  school  on  the  west  side  at  the  Falls  1.36 

Mr.  Hoag  buys  160  acres  of  Minneapolis  for  $100  136 


TABLE   OF  CONTENTS. 


[II. 


HUHJEOTS.  Pa(»E. 

Ono  of  the  firHt  jurymrn  rcfuHes  to  1m»  fro/en  into  a  verdict  137 

Claims  made  after  tho  TravorHO  dcH  Sioux  treaty  140 

Original  owners  of  tho  soil  on  tho  west  hank  of  the  Falls  148 

The  University  of  Minnesota  158 

St.  Antho;;iy  pioneers  of  1851                  -                 -  1(51 

Last  visits  of  the  red  men  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  1(52 

Legislators  come  by  dog-train  from  Pembina  H)5 

A  public  dinner  to  Franklin  St(>ele           -                 -  l()(} 

A  pioneer  of  the  last  century,  Jean  Baptiste  Faribault  1()7 

Discussing  a  name  for  oiir  town             -                 -  171 

Organization  of  a  Claim  Association               -  180 

First  and  only  unanim(ms  election  in  Heiniepin  county  183 

Tin*  commissioners  selei-t  the  name  of  Albitm  for  the  town  184 

Tlie  citizens  select  the  name  of  Mnri    i))olis  18(1 

First  real  start  for  a  prosperoiis  raci                       -  189 

A  man  goes  over  the  Falls                       -  194 

Preliminary  to  building  the  si    inmsion  bridge  201 

History  of  tlie  first  INlinneapolis  bell  lolled  202 

Beginning  of  the  Minnesota  Agri'i  Rural  Society  208 

Territorial  Agricultural  Society  org;tni/ed  214 

Thanksgiving  sernum,  as  prophetic  as  ilovout  217 

A  hasty  but  happj'  marriag(>  in  the  early  days  231 

Survey  of  the  village  in  1854                        -                 •  233 

Naming  the  streets  and  avenues  in  Minneapolis  234 

First  newspapers  published  in  Minneapolis  240 

First  Agricultural  and  Horticultoral  Fair  in  Minnesota  242 

Boats  on  the  Mississijjpi  above  St.  Anthony  Falls  254 

Representative  men  of  the  early  settlers               -  246 

Clergymen  of  the  early  days          _                .                -  249 

Navigation  of  the  Mississippi  to  the  Falls            -  254 

Suspension  bridge  i)resents  the  first  span  over  the  river  255 

Citizens  celebrate  the  completion  of  suspension  bridge  260 

St.  Anthony  becomes  a  city                    -                -  263 

Exploring  expedition  westward  through  the  big  woods  265 

The  former  home  of  the  buffalo             -                -  266 

Minneapolis  i)utting  on  metropolitan  airs  269 

Business  houses  in  Minneapolis  in  1855              -  276 

Bt.  Anthony  annexed  to  Hennei)in  county.  283 

Reminiscent  Review  o"  events  of  pioneer  days  296 


IV. 


TABLE    OF  CONTENTS. 


i!f 


Subjects.  Page. 

Ap  T  adian  Republic  _  .  «  299 

Men  of  mark  who  came  in  1857  -  307 

A  movement  to  unite  Minneapolis  and  St.  Anthony  324 

Abolition  excitement  at  the  Falls  -  -  329 

Marvelous  shrinkage  in  the  value  of  property 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  N.  Adams  as  Missionaries 

Perilous  winter  journey  from  Pembina  to  Fort  Snelling 

Thirst  in  snow-covered  countries 

Buffalo  Hunting  in  the  northwest 

Assiniboin  belief  in  futurity 

Journey  along  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Superior 

Brief  essay  on  the  Life  of  Man 

Condensed  history  of  the  Sioux  Massacre  of  1862 

The  Indians  spare  not  their  earliest  and  best  friends 

Whole  settlements  annihilated  by  the  savages 

Wonderful  escape  from  the  Indians 

Full-blooded  Indian,  with  a  white  wife,  saves  many  whites  372 

General  Sibley's  account  of  the  captives  at  Camp  Release  375 

377 
378 
384 
385 
387 
387 
389 
392 


338 
345 
353 
854 
355 
356 
357 
362 
364 
366 
371 


Death  of  Little  Crow,  the  Chief  who  led  the  massacre 

Statement  by  Wowinapa,  a  son  of  Little  Crow 

Conchision  of  the  Pioneer  record  to  close  of  1862 

Life  of  a  missionary  half  a  century  ago 

Missionary  Pond  teaches  Little  Crow  to  read 

An  Indian  protest  as  to  Christians'  love  for  one  another 

At  Lake  Harriet  fifty  years  ago 

Old  Settlers  Association  of  Hennepin  county 

Addresses  by  Messrs.  Atwater,  Neill,  Marshall,  and  others  393 

Indians  taking  a  sad  farewell  view  of  St.  Anthony  Falls    393 

An  agricultural  school  at  Lake  Calhoxm  60  years  ago         396 

Redbird  and  his  warriors  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Falls      399 

Letter  to  the  Old  Settlers,  from  Dr.  C.  L.  Anderson  400 

J^t.  Anthony  Falls  as  it  appeared  of  old.     Illustration.        400 

Biographical  Memoranda — With  letters  to  Col.  Stevens    402 

Colonel  Stevens  in  the  war  with  Mexico,  1846  t-  1848        402 

Letter  from  Hornce  Greeley  -  -  404 

An  early  boom  -  with  a  protest — from  Franklin  Steele       412 

Reminiscent  letters  from  tlio  Hutchinson  singers  423 

An  infant  pioneer — an  old  so^^^tler  -  -  431 

Two  hundredth  anriversavy  of  the  discovery  of  the  Falls  431 


CHAPTER  I. 


PRELIMINARY. 


On  returning  from  Mexico  to  my  AVisoousin  home  in  IS-IS, 
witli  impaired  health,  I  thought  of  returning  to  a  claim  I 
made  in  Texas  in  1846,  During  a  military  march  in  the  fall 
of  184G  from  Matamoras  to  a  point  on  the  plaji.is  some  forty 
miles  east  of  that  city  into  Texas,  the  command  lost  its  hear- 
ings on  the  prairie,  throiigh  the  carelessness  of  the  guide,  and 
in  seeking  water  and  a  j^lace  to  cam]),  after  a  march  of  two 
days,  on  the  second  night  a  light  was  seen  in  the  distance 
which  evidently  indicated  the  presence  of  either  a  settlement 
of  whites  or  a  Comanche  camp.  The  latter  wouhl  not  be  a 
desirable  event,  l)ut  after  so  long  a  march  over  an  uid)r()ken 
wilderness  it  was  decided  best  to  approach  the  signs  of  hab- 
itation. About  midnight  the  i»lace  was  reached  and  it  was 
found  that  three  men  had  taken  claims  f)n  the  baidvs  of  a 
small  stream  which  drained  that  part  of  Texas,  where  both 
mes(piite  trees  and  grass  were  abundant.  The  owners  of 
these  claims  were  from  New  Orleans  where,  as  clerks,  they 
had  saved  considerable  money.  They  had  concluded  to  unite 
their  earaings  and  becomfe  planters  in  southwestern  Texas. 
They  purchased  a  few  negroes  and  mules,  supplied  them- 
selves with  ])rovisions  and  agricultural  imj)lements,  and 
wandered  through  the  wilds  of  Texas  in  search  of  land  suita- 
ble for  planting,  and  located  in  what  they  thought  the  most 
desirable  place,  Fpon  a  hasty  examination  of  the  neighbor- 
hood the  next  moniing,  I  decided  to  take  an  adjoining  claim, 
and  em[)loyed  them  to  make  improvements  on  it  for  me,  with 
a  full  intention  of  making  it  a  i)ermanent  home  after  the  war. 


Ti  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS 

I   had  made  iip  my  mind  to  reach  this  point  as  soon  as  I 
could  close  my  business  in  Wisconsin  and  Illinois. 

The  morning  after  the  election  of  General  Taylor  to  the 
Presidency,  in  company  with  General  Henry  Dodge,  who 
was  on  his  way  to  Washington  to  take  his  seat  as  United 
States  Senator  from  Wisconsin,  I  left  Mineral  Point  for 
Galena  as  a  starting  point  for  my  proposed  new  home  in 
Texas. 

A   CHANGE   IN   MY   I'LANS. 


Early  as  it  was  in  November,  we  were  met  by  one  of  the 
most  fearful  snow  and  wind  stomis  that  ever  swept  over 
the  Northwest.  The  result  was  that  we  were  snowed  in  at 
Hazel  Green,  a  little  hamlet  a  few  miles  east  of  Galena,  and 
were  obliged  to  remain  there  two  days.  Upon  our  arrival  at 
Galena  the  roads  between  that  place  and  Chicago  were  still 
impassable.  Gtn-ernor  Dodge  concluded  to  go  by  way  of  St. 
Louis,  while  I  r(>maine(l  Avaiting  for  one  of  Friuk  &  Walker's 
stages  to  make  the  trip  to  Chicago.  AVhile  thus  waiting  at 
the  old  American  H(mse  for  the  roads  to  become  passable,  the 
Prairie  du  Chien  stage  from  the  north  arrived,  one  evening, 
having  for  one  of  its  passengers  no  less  a  personage  than 
John  Catlin,  the  former  Secretary  of  the  Territory  of  Wis- 
consin. When  that  Territory  became  a  State,  in  1848,  it  left 
Mr.  Catlin  acting  governor  of  the  jjortion  of  the  old  Territory 
not  inchided  in  the  new  boundaries  of  the  State  ;  hence  Mr. 
Catlin  had  just  returned  from  the  Upi)er  Mississipjji,  after  an 
official  visit.  Among  other  duties  he  had  authorized  the 
election  of  a  Delegate  to  Congress. 


■& 
? 


m 


ATTENTION   DIRECTED  TO   MINNESOTA. 

From  Mr.  Catlin  I  first  learned  it  was  expected  that  a  new 
Territory  woxild  be  organized  by  Congress  at  the  coming  ses- 
sion, which  would  include  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  and  its 
name  would  be  Minnesota  ;  that  the  result  of  the  election 
was  in  favor  of  Henry  H.  Sibley  as  Delegate  from  the  pro- 
])osed  new  Territory. 

Learning  that  I  was  on  my  way  to  Texas,  in  consequence  of 
serious  lung  difficulties,  Mr.  Catlin  strongly  urged  me  to  give 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND   ITS    PEOl'LE. 


8 


up  Texas  and  try  Minnesota,  as  it  was  well  known,  he  said, 
to  be  the  best  climate  in  the  world  for  siieh  invalids.  He 
urged  me  so  strongly  in  this  matter,  and  said  so  much  in 
favor  of  the  new  country  that  I  became  half  inclined  to  re- 
tire to  my  farm  near  Eockford,  Illinois,  for  the  winter,  with 
&  view  of  visiting  Minnesota  before  I  returned  to  Texas. 
Delayed  bj-  the  storm,  and  dreading  the  long  winter  jouniey 
which  must  be  accomplished  mostly  by  land,  I  finally  con- 
cluded to  abandon,  at  least  for  the  time  being,  the  journey  to 
Texas,  and  in  tlie  mean  time  Avould  seek  more  information  in 
regard  to  Minnesota. 

THE  WONDERLAND  OF  THE  NORTHWEST. 

After  being  settled  for  the  winter,  I  made  diligent  in- 
quiries about  this  new  Wonderland  of  the  Northwest.  I 
wrote  to  my  friend  Lieutenant  Governor  Timothy  Burns  of 
Wisconsin.  Governor  Burns  and  myself  had  for  years  been 
intimately  associated  in  the  mining  region  around  Mineral 
Point.  He  had  traveled  extensively  through  the  Territory. 
Here  is  an  answer  to  one  of  my  letters  : 


LETTER   FROM   GOVERNOR   BURNS. 

Madison,  February  4th,  1849. 
My  Dear  Sir  :  In  answer  to  yours  of  the  20th  of  January 
making  inquiries  of  me  about  the  Territory  of  Minnesota,  I 
would  state  that  I  think  there  will  be  a  great  deal  of  business 
there  next  summer.  ]5esides  the  agriciiltural  and  lumbering 
advantages  it  possesses,  our  Government  pays  off  some  four 
or  five  trilies  of  Indians,  with  three  or  four  companies  of 
United  States  ti'oops,  which  necessarily  causes  a  grcMit  amount 
of  money  to  be  })ut  in  circulation  there  annually.  In  addition 
to  these  resourc(^s,  the  country  is  very  well  adapted  to  farm- 
ing purposes.  The  soil  and  location  of  the  country  is  excel- 
lent, and  St.  Paul,  in  my  opinion,  will  soon  be  a  })iace  of  con- 
siderable impoitance.  The  whole  business  of  the  i)eo])le  of 
the  Red  River  ot  the  Nf)rth  is  now  transacted  at  St.  Paiil, 
which  is  very  considerable  in  itself.  In  conclusion,  I  think 
it  a  very  good  country.     Yours  tnily,         Timothy  Burns. 

PREPARING   to   VISIT   MINNESOTA. 

In  a  subsetpient  letter  Governor  Burns  informed  me  that 
upon  the  opening  of  navigation  he  should  make  a  visit  to  the 


4 


PERSONAL  KECOLLECTIONS 


upper  country  as  far  as  the  Falls  of  St.  Croix,  and  I  agreed  to 
meet  him  at  Galena  to  accompany  him  on  the  journey.  The 
result  was  the  abandonment  of  my  Texas  claim,  though  at 
first  I  did  not  observe  all  the  attractions  of  the  country.  We 
intended  to  have  left  on  the  first  boat,  but  on  arriving  at 
Galena  we  fo\ind  that  three  or  four  steamers  had  preceded  us. 

MY   FIRST   BILL  OF  GOODS. 

Governor  Bums  su^ested  that  I  should  lay  in  a  supply  of 
stores,  as  hotels  and  boarding  houses  were  scarce  where  we 
were  going,  and  being  a  novice  in  sxich  matters,  I  purchased 
from  B.  H.  Campbell,  through  J.  E.  Jones,  at  Galena,  the 
following  : 

One  barrel  of  pork 

Two  liundred  pounds  of  ham 

Ten  pounds  of  coffee 

One  pound  of  tea 

Fourteen  pounds  of  sugar 

One-half  sack  of  salt 

Pepper,  spices  -  - 

Four  and  one-half  pounds  of  Tobacco 

One  barrel  of  whiskey  -  -  -  6  48 

It  will  be  observed  that  these  necessaries  of  life  were 
cheap  in  those  days.  These  merchants  had  not  become  the 
prominent  and  ilhistrious  politicians  which  they  were  a  few 
years  later. 

EN   ROUTE   FOR   MINNESOTA. 


$9   50 

8  GO 

1  CO 

1  GO 

1  GO 

5G 

30 

1  67 

.Jii'- 

I 


i 
i 


On  the  20tli  day  of  April  the  good  old  steamer  Dr.  Frank- 
lin, Captain  Pres  Lodwick,  with  Captain  Russell  Blakely 
in  the  office,  entered  Fever  river  and  landed  at  Galena.  On 
going  aboard  to  secure  a  passage  to  St.  Paul  we  found  the 
cabin  full  of  passengers.  Among  them  were  Hon.  Henry  H. 
Sibley,  Hon.  Henry  M.  Rice  and  his  bride,  the  late  Joseph 
McAlpine  so  long  the  book-keeper  of  the  old  St.  Anthony 
Mill  C'ompany,  and  several  others  who  have  since  become 
prominent  citizens  of  Minnesota.  Messrs.  Sibley  and  Rice 
were  retiirning  from  AVashington,  where  they  had  put  in  a 
good  winters   work   in  behalf  of  the  Territory.     Governor 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


Sibley  had  been  ndmitted  during  the  se.ssion  as  a  Delegate  in 
Congress,  and  had  made  many  friends  in  "Washington.  Mr. 
Rice  was  no  less  active  than  Governor  Sibley  during  the 
session,  and  to  the  united  efforts  of  these  gentlemen,  with 
those  of  the  late  Franklin  Steele,  who  spent  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  winter  of  1849  at  the  seat  of  Government,  is 
Minnesota  indebted  for  the  early  organization  of  the  Terri- 
tory. 

PROMINENT   OKGANIZERM   OF   THE    TERRITORY. 

No  country  was  exer  more  fortunate  than  Minnesota  in 
containing  such  honest,  able  men  as  the  three  above  named. 
The  steamer  laid  all  day  at  the  levee  in  Galena,  and  only 
started  on  her  northern  jouniey  after  dark,  hence  we  passed 
old  Julian  Du  BiK^ue's  town  during  the  night.  We  reached 
Prairie  du  Chien  early  in  the  forenoon  of  the  next  day,  where 
a  portion  of  the  old  Sixth  Infantry  was  stationed  at  Foi-t 
Crawford.  I  recognized,  and  was  cordially  greeted  by,  many 
of  the  officers  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  with  whom  I  had  been 
quartered  at  the  Convent  of  San  Fernando,  in  the  City  of 
Mexico.  Among  them  were  Dr.  McLaren  the  Surgeon,  Lieut. 
Winfield  S.  Hancock,  and  several  others  whose  names  have 
since  become  known  all  over  the  Avorld  for  their  gallant  deeds 
of  patriotism  during  the  War  for  the  Union.  Dr.  McLaren 
was  a  brother-in-law  of  the  late  Adjutant  Gc>neral  Townsend 
of  the  United  States  Ai'my.  His  removal  to  Fort  Snelling 
soon  after  I  saw  him  at  Fort  Crawford  made  him  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Minnesota.  We  remained  at  Prairie  dii  Chien 
several  hours,  which  afforded  the  passengers  an  opportu- 
nity to  take  a  good  survey  of  the  ancient  town.  We  met 
Douseman,  Brisbois,  Feiiton,  Brunson,  Savage,  and  several 
others.  We  missed  the  familiar  face  of  a  good  old  friend, 
Thomas  P.  Burnett,  who  had,  while  a  member  of  the  then 
recent  Constitutional  Convention  of  Wisconsin,  jjassed  over 
the  silent  river — where  all  those  citizens  of  Prairie  du  Chien 
whom  I  have  mentioned  have  since  joined  him  on  the  other 
shore. 

TOWNS  AND  SETTLERS  ALONG  THE  WAY. 

There  were  no  towns  of  impoi-tance  in  those  days  on  either 
side   of  the  river  between  Dubuque  and  Prairie   du  Cliien. 


e 


TEllSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS 


A  German  colony  had  recently  landed  and  founded  a  town 
called  Guttenberg,  on  the  Iowa  side.  McGregor,  just  opposite 
Prairie  du  Chien,  contained  only  a  warerooin  and  a  house  or 
two.  Cassville  was  a  mining  hamli^t  on  the  AVisconsin  side, 
supported  mostly  by  the  mineral  in  the  neighborhood.  Since 
more  attention  has  been  given  to  the  agricultural  resources  of 
the  country,  there  is  no  reason  why  these  old  Wisconsin 
mining  toAvns  on  and  near  the  banks  of  the  river  in 
Grant  and  other  coimties  should  not  become  places  of 
moment,  for  a  better  soil  for  farming  jjurposes  never  laid 
"  out  of  doors". 

From  Prairie  du  Chien  up  to  the  Bad  Axe  there  were  few 
if  any  white  settlers — if  we  except  the  Indian  traders  and 
wood  choi^jjers.  Once  in  a  while  we  found  a  squaw  man  who 
had  a  small  patch  of  vegetables — which  was  worked  by  a  poor 
Indian  wife. 

BLACK   HAAVK    BA^^TLE   GROUND. 


There  were  several  Eastern  passengers  on  board  who,  as 
well  as  the  others,  were  much  interested  in  looking  at 
the  neighborhood  in  the  vicinity  of  the  junction  of  the  Bad 
Axe  with  the  Mississippi.  The  location  had  become  famous 
as  the  place  of  the  defeat  of  the  Sauk  Chief  Black  Hawk  by 
our  troops  imder  General  Dodge  and  General  Atkinson, 
August  1,  1832.  The  Indians  were  dreadfully  whipped. 
Black  Hawk  said,  when  taken  prisoner,  that  his  warriors  fell 
around  him  like  hail.  He  claimed  that  his  evil  day  had 
come.  The  sun,  he  added,  rose  clear  on  the  morning  of  that 
eventful  day,  but  at  night  it  looked  like  a  ball  of  fire  and  sank 
in  a  black  cloud.  It  was,  he  continued,  the  last  sun  that 
shone  on  Black  Hawk.  During  our  stay  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Bad  Axe  much  sympathy  was  expressed  for  the  Indians. 
Doubtless  this  was  one  of  the  most  disastrous  battles  to  them 
known  in  the  history  of  the  Indian  war  with  the  United 
States,  as  it  ended  in  the  total  destruction  of  most  of  the  fol- 
lowers of  Black  Hawk. 

From  the  Bad  Axe  the  Dr.  Franklin  made  but  few  landings 
until  we  reached  La  Crosse,  which  at  that  time  contained  but 


OF   MINNK80TA   AND   ITS    I'KOrLE. 


a  few  houses.  I  was  introduced  by  Governor  Burns  to  a  Mr. 
Levy  as  the  pioneer  of  the  village.  I  also  met  at  La  Crosse 
Hon.  Nathan  Myrick,  who  subsetiuently  became  one  of  the 
most  prominent  citizens  of  Miimesota.  He  was  also  a  pioneer 
of  the  place.  A  village  had  just  been  commenced  on  the  Iowa 
side,  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  in  Allamakee  county,  under 
the  auspices  of  John  Hanney,  since  known  as  Lansing. 
With  the  exception  of  a  warehouse  it  was  a  paper  town. 
There  yvas  no  Brownsville  or  La  Crescent  at  tluit  time  on  the 
Minnesota  side  of  the  Mississippi.  The  fact  that  La  Crosse 
was  the  cent(n'  of  a  considerable  trade  in  hir  with  the  Indians, 
as  well  as  a  d(>i)ot  for  the  lumber  trade  on  som(>  of  the  streams 
entering  the  Mississijipi,  warranted  tlio  belief  that  it  would 
eventually  expand  into  a  city  of  consitlerable  i)roportions. 
This  induced  Governor  Bums  t(3  make  a  large  investment  in 
the  embryo  village. 

FROM    I-\  (UIOSHE   TO   ST.    i'AUI,. 


imous 
kby 
nson, 
pped. 
Irs  fell 
y  had 
f  that 
sank 
that 
lof  the 
ians. 
them 
nited 
e  f  Gi- 


ldings 
fed  but 


From  La  Crosse  to  St.  Paul  the  landings  became  more  fre- 
quent. Luml)ermen  and  Indian  traders  were  more  numerous. 
At  one  point  under  the  bluffs  the  boat  landed  to  take  on 
several  hundred  biisliels  of  potatoes,  the  jn-odiict  of  land  cul- 
tivated by  a  man  by  the  name  of  Reed.  Mr.  Reed  had  sold 
the  potatoes  to  a  house  in  St.  Paul.  He  informed  me  that 
this  was  his  first  shii)ment  of  farm  in-oducts  north,  and  he 
thought  the  first  of  a  similar  character  between  Lake  Pepin 
and  the  ui)per  Iowa  river.  Heretofore,  he  said,  most  of  the 
agricultural  products  recpiired  for  the  upper  country  were 
raised  between  Dubuque  and  St.  Louis.  I  think  Mr.  Reed 
was  an  Irishman,  with  a  mixed  blood(xl  M-onian  for  his  wife, 
and  had  lived  under  the  bluff  for  a  great  many  years  in  a  kind 
of  vohmtary  retirement.  He  seemed  to  be  much  pleased  that 
a  market  had  I  een  opened  at  St.  Paul  and  Stillwater  for  his 
surplus  products.  Nelson's  Landing  at  that  time  was  a  depot 
for  lumber.  There  was  no  Winona.  I  think  the  landing  was 
known  as  Wabasha  prairie.  The  only  business — small  at 
that — was  the  Indian  trade.  At  Wabasha  large  groups  of 
Indians  were  seen.  Early  traders  with  the  natives  had  made 
this  a  point  for  many  years.  Hon.  Alex.  Bailey  was  at  that 
time  the  representative  of  the  Fur  Company  at  Wabasha, 


8 


I'KUHONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


Oliver  Cratt,  A.  Roetiue,  and  Heveral  other  Canadian  French- 
men, were  residents  of  the  village.  Hon.  James  Wells,  an 
old  trader,  had  a  store  at  the  foot  of  tlie  Lake.  They  were 
mostly  employed  by  the  Fur  Company  and  tlie  United  States 
Agent  of  the  Indians.  Reed's  Landing,  just  al)o^•e  AVabasha, 
was  at  that  time  one  of  the  most  important  trading  points  on 
the  river.  The  nnmeroiis  logging  cami)8  np  the  Chij^pewa 
river,  in  Wiseonsin,  had  all  their  outfits  stored  and  reshipped 
from  this  point,  which  made  biisiness  lively,  esi)ecially  every 
fall  and  spring.  Mr.  Richards  had  a  store  house  at  Maiden 
Rock,  on  the  right  bank  of  Lake  Pepin,  which  was  a  place  of 
much  interest  to  the  passengers.  It  is  about  five  hundred 
feet  high,  and  the  location  of  a  sad  legend  of  tlie  natives. 

AN    INDIAN   liOMANCE. 

Winona,  an  Indian  maiden,  was  commanded  by  her  father, 
a  i)rominent  Chief,  to  marry  a  favorite  brave,  but  the  girl  had 
made  choice  of  another  for  her  husband.  Rather  than  com- 
ply with  her  father's  wishes,  she  threw  herself  from  the  rock, 
and  was  instantly  killed. 

Lake  City  was  not  in  existence  as  we  pfissod  Lake  Pepin, 
and  there  was  no  town  or  landing-place  on  the  eastern  banks 
of  the  Lake  until  we  reached  AVacouta,  at  the  head  of  the 
Lake,  at  which  point  an  Indian  trader  or  two  had  goods  to 
sell  to  the  Indians.  Red  Wing  was  the  seat  of  an  Indian 
colony.  I  think  only  a  few  whites  resided  there  at  the  time. 
I  only  remember  John  Bush,  the  Indian  fanner,  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Hancock,  the  missionary.  Probal)ly  there  were  others  that 
I  did  not  see.  It  was,  and  had  been  for  a  long  time,  a  faA'orite 
resort  for  Indians,  and  I  believe  they  love  to  linger  in  the 
bottoms,  near  that  city,  to  this  day.  Prescott,  on  the  Wis- 
consin side,  attracted  considerable  attention  in  consequence  of 
its  beautiful  location.  There  were  but  few  buildings,  aside 
from  the  necessary  warehouses,  but  many  of  my  fellow- 
passengers  predicted  a  flourishing  town  in  the  near  future. 
That  was  before  the  days  of  Hudson,  which  jjlace  has  sprung 
up  since,  and  has  reaped  many  of  the  benefits  that  naturally 
belonged  to  Prescott.  We  thought  the  more  of  Prescott 
because  it  was  named  after  that  philanthropist,  the  late  Phi- 
lander Prescott,  who   was  so    wantonly  murdered  by  the 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


0 


Dakotas,  below  Redwood,  during  the  Indian  outbreak,  on  the 
19th  day  of  August,  18()2. 

On  the  steamer  leaving  Prescott,  the  next  landing  was  at 
Point  ])ouglas,  a  trading  i)ost  of  some  consecpuMieo  in  the 
early  days  of  the  Territory.  Two  of  its  early  traders,  Mi'ssrs. 
Burris  and  Hertzell,  had  accumulated  (piite  a  comi)etency, 
even  at  tluvt  early  day.  The  village  hud  the  advjintage  of  the 
trade  ol  the  pioneer  farmers  residing  on  the  fertile  lands 
bordering  on  both  the  Mississipjji  and  St.  Croix.  Other  towns 
have  si)rung  up  since,  and  the  trade  of  the  Indians  has 
passed  away.  Point  Douglas  has  not  made  the  growth  that  all 
the  passengers  on  the  steamer  Dr.  Franklin  expected  on  that 
pleasant  April  day  in  1849. 

Our  next  call  was  at  Oliver's  Grove,  now  Hastings.  A  few 
Indian  traders  came  aboard  with  packages  of  fxir  destined  for 
Mendota.  Oliver's  Grove  was  so  called  from  r.  Lieut.  Oliver, 
who,  at  an  early  day,  had  charge  of  Government  ytores  des- 
tined for  the  St.  Peters  camp,  that  were  landed  there  in  conse- 
quence of  the  close  of  navigation.  There  were  no  permanent 
residents  there  then,  though  the  late  Hon.  Joseph  E.  Brown 
had  a  trading  post  there  as  early  as  1828.  It  was  considered 
an  excellent  point  for  trading  with  the  Indians.  I  do  not 
think  there  was  a  soul  on  board  who  could  for  a  moment  have 
thought  that  a  large  and  flourishing  town  would  be  built  up 
SO  rapidly  in  less  than  a  decade. 

LITTLE  crow's  VILLAGE — MISSIONARY   WILLIAMSON. 

Kaposia,  or  Little  Crow's  Village,  was  the  next  and  last 
landing  before  we  reached  St.  Paul.  This  was  the  residence 
of  Kev.  Dr.  Williamson,  so  long  a  missionary  among  the 
Dakotas.  A  large  band  of  Indians  of  both  sexes  came  down 
to  the  levee  to  see  the  strangers  on  board  the  boat.  Presently 
the  venerable  missionary  came  aboard  and  took  passage  for 
St.  Paul.  He  was  warmly  greeted  by  Governor  Sibley,  Mr. 
Rice,  and  other  early  settlers,  who  were  passengers.  On 
being  introduced  to  him  by  Governor  Sibley,  he  asked  if  I 
was  a  relative  of  the  missionaiy,  Rev.  J.  D.  Stevens,  who 
arrived  at  Fort  Snelling  in  September  1829,  and  who  preached 
to  Good  Road's  division  of  the  Dakotas  at  Lake  Calhoun  so 
long,  long  ago.    Dr.  Williamson  gave  a  warm  welcome  to  his 


10 


PEllHONAL    IIECOLLECTIONH 


I'i 


now  frit'iuls  who  wore  on  the  boat.  Ho  nnid  the  country 
woukl  not  disappoint  earnest  men  wlio  were  willinjij  to  farm 
or  to  follow  any  other  legitimate  IniHinoKS.  Of  coiirse  it  was 
new,  Imt  it  had  a  rich  future,  and  as  soon  as  its  rare  resources 
were  known  it  would  become  populous.  People  could  not 
afford  to  lead  an  idle  life  hei*e  ;  that  owing  to  its  jjeculiar 
climate  and  surroimdings  they  would  prefer  to  keep  busy. 
This  was  the  coniniencement  of  a  life-long  friendship  between 
Dr.  Williamson  and  myself,  and  I  consider  it  one  of  the 
fortunate  events  of  my  life.  The  friendship  of  such  a  man  is 
worth  more  than  silver  or  gold. 

FIKHT   SIGHT   OP   HT.    PAUL. 

We  were  80(m  in  sight  of  the  new  Wonder  of  the  Western 
World,  as  it  was  before  the  day  of  booming  Western  towns  ; 
and  as  every  i)laco  had  to  stand  on  its  own  merit,  we  had  not 
read  or  heard  very  much  in  regard  to  it.  There  was  no  paper 
yet  printed  in  St.  Paul,  nor  anywhere  in  the  Territory,  though 
James  M.  Goodhiie  had  arrived  with  his  printing  outfit  on  the 
18th,  and  ten  days  from  that  time  the  first  paper,  the  Pioneer, 
made  its  aj^pearance.  On  landing,  April  24tli,  we  found  the 
town  something  more  than  a  frontier  trading  station.  I 
secured  a  home  for  the  time  being,  and  a  good  one,  too,  with 
J.  W.  Bass,  a  son-in-law  of  the  early  Wisconsin  pioneer, 
Rev.  Dr.  A.  Brunson,  and  a  brother-in-law  of  the  lamented 
Judge  Thomas  P.  Burnett.  Mr.  Bass  assigned  me  one  of  the 
best  rooms  in  his  house,  which  I  shared  the  next  day  on  the 
arrival  of  another  boat,  with  a  gentleman  also  from  the  lead 
mines  in  Wisconsin,  Dr.  David  Day,  who  has  since  occupied 
high  trusts  in  the  Territory  and  State.  Dr.  Day,  like  myself, 
was  suffering  from  lung  difficulties ;  he  could  scarcely  walk 
up  the  bluff  from  the  old  landing  ;  so  it  may  be  presumed 
that  we  made  peaceable  bedfellows.  In  any  event  it  made  us 
friends,  and  the  climate — not  medicine — made  us  both  strong, 
healthy  men. 

OLD   ST.   PAUL. 


I  do  not  suppose  St.  Paul  had,  on  that  24th  day  of  April, 
more  than  thirty-five  or  forty  buildings,  and  it  was  claimed 
that  from  1838,  when  Pierre  Parrant,  the  first  settler,  followed 


OF    MINNKSOTA    AM)    ITS    I'EOl'LE. 


II 


intry 
farm 
t  waB 
iiirces 
id  not 
cuUav 
busy. 
>tween 
[)f  the 
man  is 


Vestem 
towns ; 
had  not 
LO  jjaper 
,  tliough 
it  on  the 
Pioneer, 
tind  the 
ition.    I 
too,  with 
pioneer, 
lamented 
.e  o£  the 
ly  on  the 
the  lead 
occupied 
[e  myself, 
sely  walk 
)resumed 
made  us 
ih  strong, 


the  HHiue  year  by  MoHHrs.  Abram  Perry,  Edward  Pholan, 
William  Evans,  Bonj.  and  Pierre  Gervais  and  a  Mr.  JoluiHon, 
up  to  the  end  of  December  Bl,  1848,  there  had  been  only 
about  niuety-Hve  heads  of  families  settled  within  the  limits  of 
St.  Paul  proper.  In  ISHO  Dennis  (^herrier  and  Vital  (Jueriu, 
with  four  others,  were  all  the  additions  ri'ceived,  while  in 
1840  there  were  only  three,  which  included  that  e.xcellent 
man  Rev.  A.  llavoux,  Rev.  Luciau  (laltier  and  Jtiseph  Rcmdo. 
In  1841  there  was  only  two  —Pierre  and  Sever  Bottineau,  of 
the  early  e.xplorers — and  both  of  them  had  m(n-(>d  to  St. 
Antlumy  in  1849.  In  1842,  Hon.  Henry  Jackson,  Serj^eant 
Richard  W.  Mortimer,  and  four  others,  were  all  the  additions 
to  the  place.  In  1843  the  village  received  real,  solid,  sub- 
stantial and  lasting  encouragement  by  the  arrival  of  such  men 
as  Hon.  John  R.  Irvine,  "William  Hartshorn,  A.  L.  Larpen- 
teur,  Hon.  D.  T.  Sloan,  James  W.  Simpson,  and  fourteen 
others,  many  of  them  men  of  much  merit  ;  but  in  1844  there 
were  only  five  who  made  St.  Paul  their  home ;  yet  small  as 
their  numbers  were,  it  included  such  euteri)rising  men  as 
Captain  Louis  Roberts,  Charles  Bazelle  and  H(m.  William 
Dugas.  Captain  Roberts  and  Mr.  Bazelle  were  worth  scores 
of  common  men  in  building  up  a  new  country.  The  year 
1845  did  better  in  numbers,  though  there  were  only  twelve 
fresh  arrivals,  but  they  included  such  well  known  men  as 
Charles  Cavileer,  Augustus  and  David  B.  Freeman,  and  Jesse 
H.  Pomeroy  ;  while  in  1846  Hon.  James  M.  Boal,  AVilliam  H. 
Randall,  William  Randall,  Jr.,  and  seven  others,  selected  a 
residence  in  St.  Paul.  In  1847  Hon.  William  Henry  Forbes 
moved  down  from  Mendota,  and  J.  W.  Bass  and  his  brother- 
in-law  Hon.  Benj.  W.  Bninson,  Hon.  John  Banfil,  Hon. 
Parsons  K.  Johnson,  and  Hon.  Simeon  P.  Folsom»  came  up 
from  the  lead  mines.  Miss  Harriet  E.  Bishop,  the  pioneer 
school  teacher,  ex-sheriff  C.  P.  V.  Lull,  Daniel  Hopkins,  the 
merchant,  and  four  others — making  thirteen  in  all,  cast 
their  lots  in  the  new  village. 

PRE-TERRITORIAL  SETTLERS. 


of  April, 

[g  claimed 

,  followed 


The  next  and  last  year  before  the  organization  of  the  Ter- 
ritory, the  pre-territorial  settlers  niimbered  thirty.     Among 


12 


PEUHONAL    11ECOLLECTION8 


them  were  Hon.  Henry  M.  Rice,  A.  H.  CiiviMulor,  Rev.  B.  F. 
Hoyt,  Hon.  William  H.  Nohles,  David  Lambert,  W.  C" 
Morrison,  Nathan  Myrick,  Major  E.  A.  C'.  Hatch,  Hon. 
William  Fr(H>l)orn,  Lott  Moffatt,  Hon.  B.  W.  Lott,  Hem. 
David  OliuHtead  -  all  hiHtorical  namcM  with  Hoventern  others, 
many  of  them  men  full  of  cncrt^y  and  ('nt('r[jrise.  It  will  be 
seen  by  the  above  that  St.  Paid,  at  the  commeneement  of 
1840,  c'oxild  not  have  bf^en  a  very  populous  city,  but  there 
were  men,  who  were  residents,  of  the  very  best  business 
habits,  of  stri(;t  integrity,  and  who  wt^re  ca])able  of  surmount- 
ing every  obstacle  that  came  l)efore  them.  It  is  true  the 
majority  were  easy-going,  but  honest,  and  in  some  instances 
finigal.  Many  t)f  these  early  settlers  wer(>  discharged  soldiers 
from  Fort  Snelling.  Others  —especially  the  French  Cana- 
dians had  been  employed  for  years  with  the  Fur  Company. 
As  a  general  rule  the  French  populatioti  were  contented,  and 
were  not  inclined  to  be  over-ambitious  in  relation  to  making 
money  ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  wants  of  the 
people  were  not  what  they  became  at  a  later  period.  During 
the  short  period  that  I  remained  in  St.  Pa'  every  boat  that 
arrived  was   crowded  with   passengers.  e   same  maybe 

said  of  the  boats  during  that  entire  season.  The  boats  of 
1850,  and  for  several  years  thereafter,  were  full  of  people 
coming  to  make  Minnesota  their  home. 

SEEKING    CLAIMS. 


A  colony  of  some  twelve  persons  from  Rock  River  had 
preceded  me  to  St.  Paul.  They  were  neighbors  and  acquaint- 
ances of  mine.  They  could  find  no  desirable  claims  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  Wllage,  and  after  consultation  it 
was  determined  t«  proceed  up  the  Mississippi  in  search  of 
Government  lands.  The  impression,  previous  to  leaving 
home,  was  that  the  portion  of  the  Territory  west  of  the 
Mississippi  was  oj)en  to  settlers  ;  but  it  still  belonged  to  the 
Indians.  The  report  had  gone  abroad  that  this  land  west  of 
the  river  was  greatly  superior  to  that  on  the  east  side — which 
was  true.  As  only  Indian  traders  and  squaw  men  could  get 
a  foothold  in  the  Indian  Territory,  we  concluded  to  explore 
the  upper  Mississippi  country. 


CHAPTER  II. 


FIRST   VISIT   TO   ST.    ANTHONY. 


Loftviiig  St.  Paul  with  j)lenty  of  stores  and  a  good  camping 
outfit,  we  arrived  nt  old  St.  Anthony  about  noon  on  Fritlay, 
April  27th,  1849.  There  was  no  place  where  one  could  get 
accommodations  for  man  or  beast ;  but  'ive  were  told  that  uj) 
the  river,  a  few  miles  further,  we  could  get  a  good  place  to 
stop  over  with  John  Bantil,  who  kept  a  hotel  at  Cocm  Creek. 
This  we  found  to  be  true  ;  but  we  did  not  like  to  fast  until  we 
shoiild  get  there.  Some  one  told  us  to  try  the  old  mess-house  ; 
it  might  be  by  making  terms  with  the  cook  wi>  could  get  a 
dish  of  pork  and  beans,  and  a  cuj)  of  coifee.  AVe  wanted  to 
take  a  good  lo(jk  at  the  Falls.  We  had  discovered  that  a 
tenderfoot,  some  way,  contracted  a  pretty  good  appetite  uiMin, 
or  soon  after,  his  advent  into  Miiniesota  ;  so  we  wandered  to 
the  old  mess-house,  which  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  river  at 
the  east  end  of  the  present  bridge  on  Central  avenue  ;  and 
after  the  hands  engaged  in  building  the  mill  had  finished  their 
meal,  we  took  what  was  left,  with  thankful  hearts  and  dimin- 
ished funds.  Little  did  we  think,  on  that  day,  that  our  future 
home,  for  many  long  years,  was  to  be  in  the  vicinity  of  that 
old  mess-house. 

We  found  that  the  principal  Falls  were  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  river.  Messrs.  Franklin  Steele  and  Godfrey  had  their 
saw  mill  completed,  which  had  been  commenced  in  the  Autumn 
of  1847.  This  was  a  great  convenience  to  the  new  Canada 
people,  as  well  as  to  the  new-comers  in  both  St.  Paul  and  St. 
Anthony.  Previously  the  lumber  for  building  had  to  be 
hewn  out  of  tamarac  and  hard  wood,  or  hauled  overland  from 


14 


PERSONAL  RECIOLLECTIONS 


the  St,  Croix  country.  The  army  officers  stationed  at  fort 
Snelling,  in  an  early  day,  made  strenuous  etforts  to  get  hold 
of  real  estate  around  the  Ealls.  Iv  most  instances  the  few 
citizens  then  residents  of  the  country  got  the  advantage  over 
them,  and  obtained  the  prize.  At  a  later  period,  however, 
several  of  the  army  officers  became  interested  in  choice  lands 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  which  were  included  in  the 
militaiy  reservation.  They  held  the  winning  cards,  from  the 
fact  that  claims  C(  )uld  only  be  held  by  their  permission. 

FIRST    PERMANENT   CLAIM   AT   THE   PALLS. 

At  the  time  of  my  first  visit  to  the  Falls  I  leanied,  from 
unquestionable  authority,  that  Franklin  Steele  made  the  first 
permanent  claim  in  St.  Anthony,  that  "was  recognized  in  1838. 
At  that  time  he  was  Sutler  at  Fort  Snelling.  Major  Plymp- 
ton,  of  the  Fifth  U.  S.  Infantry,  made  a  claim,  in  1836,  and 
built  a  log  house  t>n  it.  This  was  the  same  claim  afterwards 
made  by  Mr.  Steele.  The  next  year.  Sergeant  Carpenter  of 
Company  A  of  the  same  regiment,  made  a  claim  immediately 
north  of  Major  Plympton's.  As  the  lands  belonged  to  the 
Indians,  the  claims  were  of  no  value. 


THE   CHIPPEWA  INDIANS   SELL   THEIR   LANDS. 

On  the  18th  day  of  June,  1838,  it  became  known  at  Fort 
Snelling  that  the  Chippewas  had  sold  to  the  General  Govern- 
ment all  their  lands  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  St.  Croix, 
which  of  course  included  the  east  bank  of  the  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony.  Then  Mr.  Steele,  by  dint  of  great  perseverance, 
obtained  his  original  claim  by  virtue  of  making  the  first 
settlement  after  the  land  was  ceded.  Ho  accomplished  this 
over  all  competition,  including  that  of  Captain  Martin  Scott 
of  the  Fifth  Infantry.  Captain  Scott  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Molino  del  Hey,  in  Mexico,  on  the  7th  of  Sei)tember,  1847. 
He  was  born  in  Vermont,  and  was  considered  one  of  the  best 
officers  in  the  Amiy.  Of  course,  under  tlie  land-laws,  officers 
of  the  Army  could  not  hold  claims,  because  of  their  incapacity 
to  pre-empt  them.  Mr.  Steele  secured  the  services  of  an  old 
voyager,  named  La  Grue,  to  live  on  the  claim  ;  but  while 
absent  £/om  home.  La  Grue's  cabin  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and 


OF  MINNEHOTA  AND  ITH  PEOPLE. 


IS 


it  Fort 
overn- 
Croix, 
of  St. 
ranee, 
le  first 
d  this 
Scott 
battle 
,  1847. 
he  best 
officers 
apacity 
an  old 
while 
fire,  and 


his  wife  \:is  burned  to  death  in  it.  He  immediately  left  the 
country  and  was  never  heard  from.  Mr.  Steele  then  built  a 
commodious  log  house  in  place  of  the  one  that  was  destroyed, 
and  placed  a  well  known  voyageur,  Charles  Laundry,  in  it  to 
hold  his  claim.  During  his  absence  from  the  house  an  old  dis- 
charged soldier,  James  Mink,  jumped  the  claim,  got  possession 
of  the  house,  and  Mr.  Ste-le  was  obliged  to  buy  him  ofF  at 
pretty  round  figures.  Then  Mr.  Steele  hired  Joseph  Eeach 
to  occupy  his  place.  He  was  faithful  to  the  end,  and  in  1847 
Mr.  Steele  secured  a  deed  from  the  Ignited  States  for  the 
claim,  i)ay^ng  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  an  acre.  At  the  same 
time  lie  purchased  Ni.ollet  Island  at  the  same  cost  i)er  acre. 
Charles  Laundry  died  early  in  the  fifties,  near  Bottineau 
Prairie,  and  Mr.  Reach  di  d  about  the  same  time  >it  his  home 
in  the  northern  2)art  of  i:jc.  Anthony.  In  1888  Carjjenter  sold 
his  claim  to  a  soldier  by  the  name  of  Brown.  In  May,  1840, 
Brown  disj)osed  of  it  to  Peter  Quinn.  Mr.  Quinnfell  a  victim 
to  the  treachery  of  the  Indians,  on  the  Minnesota  river, 
(m  the  20th  of  August,  18(52.  Mr.  Quinn  came  at  a  very  early 
(lay  to  the  St.  Peter  couiury  from  tlie  Coast  of  Labrador. 
He  was  an  honest,  M-arm-hearted  man  and,  I  think,  a  native 
of  Ireland.  He  was  for  many  years  employed  in  the  Indian 
Department  of  the  Territory.  His  widow  and  daughter  are 
now  residing  in  St.  Paul.  He  has  two  sons  living.  His 
eldest  6(m,  occupying  a  high  position  iu  the  Northwestern 
Territory,  was  killed  during  the  Kiel  Rebellion  in  North- 
western Canada.  In  1845  Mr.  Quinn  sold  his  claim  to  his 
son-in-law,  Mr.  Findlay,  and  R.  P.  Russell.  The  next  year, 
I»fay  9t,li,  they  sold  it  to  Pierre  Bottineau,  who  at  that  time 
vnis  a  resident  of  St.  Paul. 

Another  claim  was  made,  by  Mr.  Pettijohn,  as  early  as  1842, 
on  the  land  now  belonging  to  the  Univer.^ity  and  other  parties. 
Afterwards  Mr.  Bottineau  obtained  it,  but  it  eventually  fell 
into  the  hands  of  Calvin  A.  Tuttle,  who  purchased  it  from  the 
Government.  Jose])h  Rondo,  of  St.  Paul,  j)artly  made  and 
partly  jumped  Carpenter's  old  claim  near  Boom  Island,  in 
1843,  but  when  Bottineau  came  in  possession  of  the  Carpenter 
land,  he  soon  disposed  of  Rondo,  who  went  back  to  St.  Paul 
in  disg-ust.     By  purchase  and  otherwise  Mr.  Steele  and  Mr. 


.<^      _» 


16 


PER80NA7.  RECOLLECTIONS 


Bottineau,  in  1845,  held  all  the  land  from  aoove  Boom  Island 
down  to  near  the  Tiittle  place.  I  find  that  one  Baptise 
Turpin,  a  half-breed  from  the  north,  lived  on  the  Pettijohn 
claim  in  1845.  He  held  it  for  Mr.  Bottineau.  This  year  two 
brothers,  Pascal  and  Sauverre  St.  Martin,  made  claims  down 
the  river  from  the  Pettijohn  claim.  The  land  became  the 
property  of  William  A.  Cheever  and  Judge  B.  B.  Meeker. 
Here,  then,  we  have  all  the  actual  residents  of  the  east  bank 
of  the  Falls  of  St.  A  nthony  up  to  and  inchiding  the  year  1845. 

Charles  Wilson,  a  discharged  soldier,  long  employed  by 
Mr.  Steele  as  a  teamster,  was  oif  and  on  at  St.  Anthony  after 
1845.  He  died  at  Fort  Snelling  the  early  autumn  of  1849. 
He  could  hardly,  however,  be  called  a  resident ;  and  yet, 
perhaps,  he  was  more  than  a  visitor  ;  biit  his  home  proper 
was,  after  his  discharge  from  the  Army,  always  at  the  Fort. 

Mr.  Bottineau,  his  two  brothers  Severre  and  Charles,  and 
his  brothei'-in-law  Loxiis  Desjarlais,  Joseph  Beach  and  family, 
and  their  employees,  wei-e  the  occiipaiits  of  St.  Anthony  until 
early  in  1847,  when  operations  were  commenced  for  building 
the  mill.  The  services  of  Ard  Godfrey,  n  i)rominent  mill- 
wright from  the  Penobscot  river,  Maine,  were  secured  as 
overseer  of  the  mill.  William  A.  Cheever,  of  Boston, 
Calvin  A.  Tuttle,  John  Kollins,  Luther  Patch,  Edward  Patch, 
Sumner  W.  Farnham,  Caleb  D.  Dorr,  Robert  W.  Cunnnings, 
Charles  W.  Stimpson,  John  McDonald,  Samuel  Ferrald  and 
David  Stauchfield,  became  identified  with  the  j)lace.  W.  E.. 
Marshall,  J.  M.  Marshall  and  R.  P.  Russell,  were  also  more 
or  less  in  the  village  diu-ing  the  year.  Mr.  Russell  had  been 
a  resident  at  Fort  Sne'ling  since  1840,  and  f recpiently  made 
St.  Anthony  a  semi-home  ;  and  in  184S  he  became  a  resident 
in  earnest  by  settling  down  and  marrying  Miss  Marian  Patch, 
and  soon  afti'r  became  the  i)ioneer  mercliant  of  the  village, 
though  he  had  ])vev  ously  sent  a  small  stock  of  goods  to  vari- 
ous parties  in  St.  Anthony  t)  trade  with  the  Indians  and  the 
few  whites  in  that  vicinity.  The  additions  to  the  jjopulation 
in  1848  were  Sherman  Huse,  Edgar  Fo]som,Elia8  H.  Connt)r, 
Joseph  Potvin,  Silas  M.  Farnham,  Bernard  Cloutier,  Waslu 
ington  Getchell,  A.  1).  Foster,  Charles  W.  Stinson,  and  a 
few  others. 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND   ITS   PEOPLE. 


17 


Many  of  these  gentlemen  became  permanent  residents  ;  all, 
and  those  who  came  before,  have  been  Tiseful  and  respected 
citizens.  In  looking  over  the  list  of  the  old  settlers  of  pre- 
Territoriai  days  in  Minnesota,  it  is  gratifying  to  observe  the 
fact  that  not  a  single  one  of  them  was  ever  presented  on  a 
criminal  charge — which  shows  that  they  were  men  of  good 
moral  character. 

EXPEDITION  TO  COON   CREEK. 

About  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  onr  ex])edition  left  for 
Coon  Creek.  The  farmers  in  our  ranks  objected  to  the  ipiality 
of  the  soil  from  8t.  Anthony  on  the  route  because  of  the 
quantity  of  sand  in  it ;  Imt  as  none  of  it  had  ever  been 
cultivated,  of  course  we  co\ild  not  judge  of  its  j)roductiveness. 
Arriving  at  Banfil's  a  little  after  dark,  weary  after  the  day's 
walk,  Mrs.  Banfil  seated  us  at  the  su{)i)er  table,  which  was 
filled  with  wholesome  food.  One  of  the  j)arty  thought  it  the 
best  meal  he  had  partaken  since  he  had  left  the  h\d  American 
House  in  Galena — which  was  praise  indeed  when  we  considi'r 
the  excellent  tables  on  the  up{)er  Mississippi  steamers  in  the 
old  colony  days,  as  Avell  as  of  mine  host,  J.  W.  Bass  of 
the  primitive  Merchants'  Hotel  of  St.  Paul.  Mr.  Banfil 
landetl  in  St.  Paiil  in  184:7,  and  made  a  claim  at  Coon  Creek, 
which  was  considered  a  good  place  for  a  hotel,  securing  all 
the  travel  from  St.  Paul  to  Fort  Gaines,  the  Indian  agencies 
on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  and  those  engaged  in  the  Indian 
trade  in  the  Northwest. 

AT    THE    MOUTH   OF   liUM    HIVEIJ. 

After  a  comfortable  night's  rest  and  a  good  breakfast  we 
continued  oiir  jcniruey,  arriving  at  Rum  river  about  noon, 
where  we  found  a  solitary  cabin  occupied  by  Mr.  Dahl,  who 
was  holding  down  the  claim  for  Louis  Roberts  of  St.  Paul. 
In  order  to  make  the  enterprise  pay,  Captain  Roberts  had 
established  a  ferry,  and  Mr.  Dahl  acted  as  ferryman.  AVith 
the  exception  of  the  cabin,  there  was  not  a  house,  a  chick  or 
child,  where  the  proud  city  of  Anoka  stands  to-day.  Inquiring 
for  a  good  camping-place  where  we  could  remain  for  a  few 
days,  to  explore  the  country,  Mr.  Dahl  directed  us  to  a  point 
a  mile  or  so  above  the  ferry,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi, 
2 


18 


PERaONAL    l^ECOLLECTIONS 


known  as  the  Big  Island,  which  had  everything  desirable  for 
camping  purposes.  There  was  wood,  water  and,  at  the  projjer 
season  of  the  year,  good  grass.  At  Big  Island  we  jjrepared  a 
temporary  home,  and  commenced  ki>e{)ing  bachelors'  hall. 
The  next  day  being  Simday,  a  i)ortion  of  the  expedition 
remained  in  camp.  Others  followed  the  margin  of  tho  river 
to  the  junction  of  Rum  river  with  the  Mississippi,  himting 
botton\  lands  and  hay  meadows,  but  found  none  that  were 
satisfactory. 

MiasiONAKY   FUED.  AVER. 

Observing  that  a  tent  had  been  pitched  since  we  left  the 
previous  evening,  and  seeing  a  wagon,  and  a  span  of  hoi'ses 
feeding  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  we  made  a  call — Sunday  as 
it  was — on  the  new-comers,  and  found  that  the  occuj)ants  of 
the  tent  were  the  Rev.  Fred.  Ayer  and  one  of  his  sons,  who 
were  on  their  way  to  what  is  now  known  as  Belle  Prairie,  to 
establish  a  mission  for  the  Chippewa  Indians.  AVe  were 
greatly  interested  in  Mr.  Ayer's  account  of  his  long  missionary 
labors  with  the  Indians. 

In  1880  Mr.  Ayer,  who  was  then  stationed  at  Mackinaw, 
was  sent  to  lia  Pointe  to  examine  the  Lake  Superior  region 
to  I'ejjort  in  regard  to  the  propriety  of  establishing  a  post  for 
missionary  work  on  or  near  the  great  "  unsalted  sea".  He 
returned  to  Mackinaw  the  same  year,  but  the  next  year,  in 
comi)any  with  Rev.  Sherman  Hall,  he  returned  to  La  Pointe 
and  established  a  school  for  Iniliau  children,  and  was  by 
Mr.  Hall  selected  as  its  princii)al  teacher.  In  1832  he  was 
sent  from  La  Pointe  to  open  a  kindred  work  at  Sandy  Lake  5 
and  the  next  year  in  September,  he  was  transferred  to  Yellow 
Lake  for  the  beginning  of  a  mission  station.  Mr.  Ayer  was 
for  a  time,  I  think,  stationed  at  Pokegema  Lake,  a  beautiful 
sheet  of  water  some  five  miles  long  by  one  mile  wide  ;  and 
also  on  Snake  river  some  twenty  miles  from  where  it  empties 
into  the  St.  Croix.  When  I  saw  him  his  hair  had  become 
gray  in  missionary  work.  I  think  in  addition  to  the  places 
I  have  mentioned,  Mr.  Ayer  had  done  missionary  work  in 
various  parts  of  the  Indian  country.  The  next  morning  we 
saw  liim  passing  our  camp  at  Big  Island,  and  shook  hands 


OF   MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PKOPI.E. 


19 


with  him.  From  thnt  day  to  his  death  I  heard  and  rend  of 
his  good  deeds  ut  Belle  Prnirie  and  elsewhere.  In  18()5  he 
went  to  Atlanta,  Gecn-gia,  in  the  empl«)y  of  the  Freedmen's 
Burean,  and  died  and  was  Imnied  in  that,  city  in  1867.  His 
life  was  one  of  great  self-sacrifice  and  nsefnlness. 

THE  COLONY   SCHEME   ABANDONED. 

As  the  explorers  came  into  camp  it  became  evident  that 
we  could  not  establish  a  colony  in  the  portion  of  tlie  territory 
we  were  visiting,  as  they  all  j)roteste(l  against  locating 
where  there  was  such  light  soil.  We  had  lived  in  Illinois 
where  there  was  a  deep  black  soil,  and  we  wanted  to  find  that 
in  Minnesota  ;  l)ut  wo  looked  in  vain  far  it  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  river.  We  accidentally  discovered  that  a  small  piece  of 
land  had  been  cultivated  with  corn,  beans,  and  potatoes  the 
previous  year,  just  above  the  camping  gro\ind,  and  looking 
around  we  found  the  product  of  the  latul  concealed  in  an  old 
stack  which  was  covered  with  brxish,  and  were  surprised  to 
see  such  large  ears  of  corn.  Upon  this  discovery  I  made  up 
my  mind  that  the  soil  might  be  light,  but  if  it  produced  such 
com  it  was  good  enough  for  me  ;  and  after  returning  to  St. 
Paul  I  hunted  up  the  owner  of  the  claim,  AVilliam  Noot,  who 
resided  on  the  Fort  Snelling  reservation,  and  purchased  his 
right  for  $200  ;  but  before  I  got  ready  to  occupy  it,  some 
one  jiimped  the  claim  ;  so  I  lost  not  only  the  claim,  T)ut  my 
two  hundred  dollars.  This  mhh  my  first  ventiire  in  Min- 
nesota soil.  I  found  it  was  necessary  to  enter  land  as  soon 
as  it  was  in  market ;  for  mere  claims  to  land  could  not  be 
depended  upon. 

Procuring  an  old  Indian  canoe,  we  crossed  the  Mississippi 
and  made  a  journey  of  several  miles  into  the  interior  west  of 
the  river.  Here  we  found  the  quality  of  soil  we  wanted  ;  but 
as  all  the  lir.d  west  of  the  river  from  the  Iowa  line  to  the 
Canadian  provinces  belonged  to  the  Indians,  wo  ct>uld  not 
obtain  it :  and  the  result  was  that  all  the  members  of  the 
p;  rty,  except  myself  and  one  other,  determined  to  abandon 
the  country  and  seek  homes  elsewhere.  This  intention  was 
carried  out.  ■ 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE    PRESENT    HITE   OF   MINNEAPOLIS. 


Returning  to  St.  Piuil  by  -,vay  of  Crow  river,  Fort  Snelling, 
and  Menclota,  we  had  an  excellent  opjjortunity  to  see  the  new 
cotuitry  along  the  ronte  before  its  appearance  had  been  changed 
by  the  hands  of  white  men.  We  were  all  in  love  with  it,  and 
wondered  how  it  was  'i)ossible  there  coidd  be  siich  a  difiPerenc? 
in  the  q\iality  of  the  soil  from  the  otht .  side  of  the  river. 

We  found  a  band  of  Winnebagos  encami)ed  on  Crow  river. 
They  came  down  from  Long  Prairie  to  hunt  and  fish  on  the 
neutral  lands  between  the  Dnkotas  and  Ojibways.  I  was 
acqiiainted  with  some  of  the  AVinnebagoes  when  they  lived  in 
the  lower  coiintry.  They  expressed  their  dissatisfaction  with 
the  Long  Prairie  country,  and  their  detennination  to  abandon 
it  as  soon  as  possible  ;  which  resolution  they  carried  into 
execution  a  year  or  two  afterwards. 

At  this  time  the  neutral  lands  were  full  of  game,  and  the 
numerous  lakes  and  streams  were  alive  with  fish.  We  followed 
the  old  Indian  trail  from  the  moiith  of  Crow  River  to  the 
T^estern  bank  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  It  was  an 
luibroken,  beautiful  wilderness.  With  the  exception  of  the 
old  inilitary  building  on  the  bank  oi)])osite  Spirit  Island, 
there  was  not  and,  for  aught  I  know,  never  had  been  a 
house  or  a  sign  of  habitation  from  Crow  river  to  a  mile  or 
two  below  Minnehaha, 

The  scenery  was  pict\iresqu«,  with  woodland,  prairie,  and 
oak-openings.  Cold  springs,  silvery  lakes,  and  clear  streams 
abounded.  Except  the  military  reservation,  from  what  is  now 
known  as  Bassett's  creek  to  the  mouth  of  St.  Peter  river,  the 


nelling, 

the  new 

changed 

1  it,  and 

ifference 

ver. 

-)W  river. 

[h  on  the 
I  was 
ived  in 
ion  with 
abandon 
ed  into 

and  the 
followed 
er  to  the 
was    an 
n  of  the 
Island, 
been  a 
mile  or 

airie,  and 
,r  streams 
lat  is  now 
river,  the 


20 
a! 


» 
O 

> 

CD 

o 

C 
It" 
U 


'I 


J 


%  .     ; 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


m 


land  all  Lelonged  to  tho  IndiaiiK,  imd  we  were  treH})aH8erH  in 
walkinj^  over  it. 

We  wore  i)artitnilarly  charmod  with  the  lay  of  the  land  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Falls  -which  the  present  site  of  Minne- 
apolis includes.  A  few  Indians  belonging  to  Good  Road's 
band  had  their  tepees  np,  and  were  living  tein[)orarily  in 
them,  in  the  oak-openings  on  the  hill  a  little  west  of  the 
landing  of  the  old  ferry.  There  was  an  eagle's  nest  in  n  tall 
cedar  on  Spirit  Island,  and  the  birds  that  oceiii)ied  it  seemed 
to  dispute  our  right  to  visit  the  crags  below  the  Falls. 

We  started  np  a  numl)er  of  large  timber  wolves — old  hoary 
fellows,  wandering  in  the  vicinity — that  had  grown  fat,  bold, 
and  vif'ions  in  feeding  for  years  Tipon  the  offal  of  the  old 
military  slaughter-lKUises   that  were   in   tlie   neighborhood. 

Many  government  miile-wagons  from  Fort  Snelling,  loaded 
with  supplies  for  Fort  Gaines,  were  fording  the  broad,  smooth 
river,  near  the  brink  of  the  trembling  Falls,  where  the  dark 
water  turned  white,  and  with  a  roar  leaped  into  the  boiling 
depth,  and  gurgled  on  its  rapid  way  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

The  banks  of  the  river  above  the  Falls  were  skirted  with 
a  few  pines,  some  white  birch,  many  hard  maples,  and 
several  elms,  with  many  native  grape-vines  climbing  over 
them,  which  formed  fine  bowers  up  to  the  first  creek  above 
the  Falls.  The  table-land  back  from  the  river  was  covered 
with  oak.  There  were  some  thickets  of  hazel  and  prickly 
pear.  On  the  second  bench,  a  little  below  the  Falls,  from  a 
quarter  to  a  half  mile  back,  there  was  a  dense  growth  of 
poplar  that  had  escaped  the  annual  prairie  fires.  These  trees 
were  very  pretty,  on  that  spring  day,  with  the  foliage  just 
bursting  from  the  buds. 

Here  and  there  were  fine  rolling  prairies  of  a  few  acres 
in  extent,  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  Falls  ;  but 
toward  Minnehaha  the  prairies  were  two  or  three  miles  long, 
and  extended  to  Lake  Calhoun  and  Lake  Harriet.  Near  the 
Falls  was  a  deep  slough  of  two  or  three  acres.  It  was  seem- 
ingly bottomless.  This  and  a  few  deep  ravines  and  grassy 
ponds  were  the  only  things  to  mar  the  beauty  of  the  scene 
around  the  Falls. 

On  the  old  road  from  the  west-side  landing  to  the  rapids 


2'2 


I'KltSOXAL    KKrOLLECTIONs 


■i5l 


where  teaniH  croHHed  the  river  was  ii  fine  larg*?  spring  with  a 
copious  flow  of  dear  cold  water.  From  appearances  it  seemed 
to  bo  a  place  of  summer  resort  for  Indians  and  8ol(li(»r8. 
Large  lindeu-trees  with  wide-spreading  brandies  made  a 
gratefiil  shade.  In  after  years  the  water  of  the  si)ring  was 
much  iised  by  the  early  settlers.  Picnic  i)arties  went  common 
in  those  days  from  Fort  Snelling.  The  officers  with  ladies 
would  come  U[)  and  spend  the  long,  hot  days  in  the  shade  of 
the  trees  and  drink  the  cool  spring  water. 

From  1821  for  many  years  all  the  l)eef  cattle  required  for 
the  Fort  were  pastured,  wintered,  and  slaughtered  near  the 
old  government  buildings.  For  this  reason  the  locality 
appeared  more  like  a  New  England  p  isturo  than  a  wildi'rness. 

On  the  way  to  Fort  Suelling  was  a  lone  tree  about  half 
way  to  Little  Falls  creek.  It  .vf  i  a  species  of  poplar,  and 
had  escaped  the  prairie  finss.  Its  trixnk  was  full  of  bullet 
holes,  said  to  have  been  made  luring  a  battle  between  the 
Chippewas  and  Dakotas.  This  was  the  only  landmark  then 
on  the  prairie  between  Minnehaha  Falls  and  the  west  bank 
of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  It  was  far  from  being  a  pretty 
tree,  but  it  served  an  excellent  piirpose  during  the  winter 
months  when  the  Indian  trail  was  covered  with  snow,  as  a 
guide  to  the  few  travelers  who  i)as8ed  over  the  lonely  prairie. 
It  disapjjeared  long  since,  but  there  is  not  a  pioneer  who  had 
occasion  to  use  the  old  trail  in  the  winter  but  will  hold  it  in 
grateful  remembrance. 

LITTLE    FALLS. 


Arriving  at  Minnehaha  creek,  we  waded  through  its  silvery 
waters  and  encamped  for  the  night  near  the  Falls.  We  had 
for  company  several  Winnebagoes  who  had  put  up  their  wig- 
wams for  a  few  day's  rest.  They  had  been  on  a  visit  to  their 
old  home  in  Wisconsin  and  Iowa,  and  were  on  their  way  back 
to  Long  Prairie.  The  Indiana  seemed  to  be  as  enthusiastic 
over  the  beautiful  Little  Falls  as  we  were.  Early  the  next 
morning  we  left  for  St.  Paul. 


FORT   8NELLING   TO   ST.    PAUL. 

Passing  Fort  Snelling,  we  crossed  the  St.  Peter  river  on 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


23 


tho  govenuneut  ferry  and  went  through  Mendota  without 
culling.  Wo  followed  the  west  bank  of  the  MiHsissippi,  fre- 
(^uontly  through  mire,  to  ft  point  west  of  St.  Paul.  We  wore 
fortunate  enough  to  secure  the  sorvicon  of  ft  Dakota  Indian  to 
cross  to  the  village,  where  we  were  safely  landed  in  our  old 
room  again,  with  Dr.  Day,  at  the  Merchants. 

DISBANDING  OP   THE   PAllTY. 

After  a  consultation  among  the  members  of  the  colony,  it 
was  determined  to  abandon  the  scheme  of  looking  further  for 
lands,  for  the  present,  and  all,  except  two,  took  passage  on  the 
first  boat  for  the  lower  country.  In  the  meantime  it  would 
not  answer  to  be  idle  while  waiting  for  a  treaty  with  the 
Indians,  who  were  willing,  if  not  anxious,  to  sell  their  lands 
west  of  the  Mississippi. 

EAST   AND   WEST   OF   THE    MISSISSIPPI. 

Though  much  good  land  could  be  found  between  the 
Mississippi  river  and  the  St.  Croix,  the  report  had  gone 
abroad  that  there  was  too  much  sand  in  the  soil  east  of  the 
river,  and  that  it  never  coidd  be  made  good  farming  land — 
which  is  not  true.  Yet  the  old  saying  was  pretty  well  illus- 
trated, that  to  give  a  dog  a  bad  name,  no  one  will  believe 
he  is  a  good  dog ;  but  for  all  that  he  may  be  one  of  the 
best  of  dogs.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  east  side  suffered  greatly 
in  an  early  day  from  these  reijorts.  It  should  have  been 
determined  in  this  way :  while  the  country  east  of  the  river  is 
pretty  good,  that  on  the  west  side,  as  a  general  rule,  is  better. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


rilANKLIN   STEELE. 


Meeting  Mr.  Sibley  early  iu  May,  ho  said  the  business  of 
Mr.  Frnnkliu  Steele,  at  Fort  Suelling,  required  some  one  to 
tako  charge  of  it ;  that  Mr.  Steele  was  in  the  East,  and  was 
exi)ected  home  soon.  On  the  return  of  that  gentleman  I 
entered  into  close  business  relations  with  him,  which  were 
continued  through  his  lifetime.  A  more  enterprising,  honor- 
able, and  popular  man  never  lived  in  the  Northwest.  He 
was  bom  of  distinguished  parentage  in  1813,  in  Chester 
Cfunty,  Pennsylvania.  His  father.  General  James  Steele, 
wa.  of  Scotch  descent.  One  of  liis  ancestors.  General  Archi- 
bald ..  ^'>le,  served  under  General  Mc  ntgomery  in  the  expe- 
dition ttjj  .;^t  Quebec.  He  became  Deputy  Quartermaster- 
General  of  li.  ^  troops  in  the  western  division  of  the  Army  in 
Pennsylvania.  Another  ancestor,  John  £"_v3le,  was  an  officer 
in  the  Revolutionary  Army.  A  letter  is  preserved  which  he 
wrote  to  his  brother,  dated  Morristown,  New  Jersey,  June  14, 
1787,  in  which  he  says  :  "  I  at  present  enjoy  myself  incompar- 
"  ably  well,  in  the  f  (ti7>.ily  of  Mrs.  Washington,  whose  guard  I 
"have  had  the  honor  to  command  since  the  absence  of  the 
"General  and  i-iiT  rest  of  the  family,  which  is  now  six  or 
"  seven  days.  1  am  happy  in  the  importance  of  my  charge, 
"  as  well  as  iu  the  presence  of  the  most  amiable  woman  on 
"  earth,  and  whose  character,  should  I  attempt  to  describe, 
"  I  could  not  do  justice  to ;  but  will  only  say  that  I  think  it 
"  unexceptionable." 

At  the  commencement  of  my  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Steele 
he  was  the  foremost  business  man  in  this  part  of  the  North- 


"^ 


nesa  of 
e  one  to 
md  was 
leman  I 
ich  -were 
5,  honor- 
est.    He 
Chester 
3  Steele, 
al  Arclii- 
he  expe- 
ermaster- 
Anny  in 
an  officer 
which  he 
,  June  14, 
incompar- 
se  guard  I 
ce  of  the 
low  six  or 
ay  charge, 
woman  on 
describe, 
I  think  it 


o 


Mr.  Steele 
the  North- 


LITTLE  FALLS   OF  OLD      NOW   MINNEHAHA. 

As  one  sees  the  Minnehaha,  gleaming,  glancing  thro'  the  forest. 

In  the  land  of  the  Dakotas,        "  Pleasant  is  the  sound  !"  ht- 

AVhere  the  Falls  of  Minnehaha  murmured, 

Flash  and  gleam  among  the  "Pleasant    is  the  voice  tliat 

oak  trees,  calls  me  !*' 

Laugh  and  leap  into  the  valley.  AVould    he    come    again    for 

arrows 
And    he    journeyed     without  To  the  Falls  of  Minnehaha  V 

resting. 
Till  he  heard  the    cataract's  Heard  the  Falls  uf  Minnehaha 

laughter,  Calling  to  them  from  afar  oflF : 

Heard  the  Falls  of  Minnehaha  Fare  thee  well,  O  Minnehaha  ! 
Calling  to  him  thro'  the  silence,         [ Longfellow's  Hiawatha 


mmi 


OP  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


26 


west.  His  niimerous  enterprises  were  distributed  from  the 
head  of  Lake  Superior  to  the  Iowa  line,  and  from  tlie  Missis- 
sippi to  the  Missouri.  Gentlemanly  and  generous,  every 
member  of  the  community  was  his  friend.  He  was  a  philan- 
thropist— a  lover  of  men.  His  principal  business  office  was 
at  Fort  Snelling,  where  he  occupied  the  position  of  sutler. 
His  pleasant  home  was  just  outside  the  wails  u£  the  Fort, 
where  his  accomplished  wife  presided. 


I 
I 


OFFICERS   AT   FORT   8NELLINQ. 

On  iny  arrival  at  the  Fort,  in  May,  1849,  that  post  was 
urdcr  the  command  of  Brevet-Major  Samuel  Woods,  Captain 
of  Company  E,  Sixth  Infantry.  Major  "Woods  married  Miss 
Clayborne  Baniey,  the  youngest  sister  of  Mrs.  Franklin 
Steele.  She  was  a  lady  of  rare  merit  She  and  her  three 
children  died  of  cholera  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  in  1854.  They 
are  quietly  resting  in  the  beautiful  Lakewood  cemetery  on  the 
borders  of  Lake  Calhoun. 

The  other  officers  at  Fort  Snelling  at  that  time  were  Captain 
James  Monroe,  Company  K,  Sixth  Infantry  ;  Captain  Simon  B. 
Buckner,  Company  C  ;  Lieutenants  I.  W.  T.  Gardiner  and 
Castor,  Company  D,  Second  Regiment  V.  S.  Dragoons  ; 
Lieutenants  A.  D.  Nelstm  and  Page.  Dr.  Martin,  father-in- 
law  of  Cai)tain  Monroe,  was  the  Surgeon,  and  Rev.  Dr.  E.  G. 
Gear,  Chaplain. 

Early  in  Juno  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gustavus  Loomis  arrived 
and  assumed  command.  Captains  R.  W.  Kirkham  and  Wet- 
more,  and  Surgeon  A.  N.  McLaren,  also  arrived  in  Jime. 
Soon  aft^n*  Colonel  Loomis  assumed  command  at  Fort  Snelling 
Captain  John  Pope  of  tlie  Topographical  Engineers  -now 
Major-Gem>ral  Pope  -  and  Dr.  Sikes.  arrived  en  route  to  the 
boundary  line.  The  expedition  was  to  bo  under  the  command 
of  Major  Woods,  accompanied  by  Com]>any  E,  Lieutenant 
Nelson,  and  Comjjany  D,  Lieutenant  Gai'diner.  Tlio  command 
left  Fort  Snelling  on  their  march  Jiino  6th,  and  returned  in 
September. 

WHAT    BECAME   OF   TlIK   01J>   CO.MMANl). 

Few  of  the  officers  stiitionod  at  Fort  Snelling  at  that  time 
are  now  alive,  and  of  the  soldiers  who  were  included  in  the 


'■•IMInMMIIIMHMaMI 


26 


I'EHSONAL    llECOLLKCTIONS 


commniicl  T  only  know  of  fonr  who  survive,  viz:  James  Brown, 
Valentine  and  Charles  Haeg,  and  Mr.  Geo.  W.  Gellenbet'k  of 
8hako])ee,  Scott  c'ot\nty.  One  of  the  members  of  the  old  hand, 
old-settler  M.  N.  K«»llo,t^g,  still  lives  in  St.  Paul  Colonel 
Loomis  died  March  5tli,  1872.  at  Stfitf'ord,  Connecticut,  a^ed 
83  years.  He  was  a  num  of  much  moment,  a  friend  of  the 
early  missionaries,  and  a  Christian  ,t?entleman  who  delighted 
in  good  works. 

Lieut.  Paige  soon  after  left  the  army  and  died  in  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Lieut.  Castor  married  the  widow  of  Lieut.  Whitehorn,  and 
lived  but  a  few  years.  Mi"s.  AVhitehorn  was  the  daughter  of 
Rev.  Dr.  Gear. 

Lieut.  Gardiner  became  an  officer  of  high  rank,  ui'l  died 
during  the  late  civil  war. 

Captain  Wetmore,  who  married  a  beautifiil  IVi  -.i'j'  i.itly, 
retired  fi-om  the  army  in  1850,  and  only  lived  a  slitut  time. 
He  died  in  St.  Louis. 

Captain  Monroe  was  a  colonel  during  the  civil  war,  and  was 
killed  in  battle. 

Captain  Buckner  left  the  army,  in  1854,  to  superintend  his 
wife's  largo  estate  in  Chicago,  which  was  left  her  by  her 
father,  Major  Kingsliury.  The  lady  lived  only  a  few  years 
afterwards.  Her  hus])and  became  a  confederate  general,  and 
is  now  governor  of  Kentucky. 

Major  AVoods  wjis  transferred  to  the  paymaster's  depart- 
ment, and  IiMS  long  lived  in  California. 

Ca])tain  Kirkham  became  assistant  (piartermasler-genera', 
from  which  service  he  retired,  u  few  years  ago,  and  r  .,- 
residi's  in  Oakland,  California. 

Dr.  ]\I('rjaren  btM-iiim^  assistant  surgeon-genernl,  and  die<l 
in  AVasliington  after  the  war.  Dr.  Martin  was  an  old  man  in 
1849.  He  died  in  Peuiisylvnuia  not  long  after  Iciiving  Fort 
Snelling.  Rev.  Dr.  Gear  was  transferred  from  Port  Snelling 
to  Port  Ripley.  He  retired  from  the  chaplaincy,  and  died 
in  Miinieapolis. 

Having  been  (piarti'n\l  with  the  Si.xth  infantry  iii  the 
convent  of  San  Ferndiido,  in  the  C-ity  of  Mexico,  in  tV"  fall 
of  1847,  it  was  a  ))leasxire  to  meet  a  portion  of  the  .  !d  egi- 
ment  again  at  Port  Snelling.     At  that  time  it  did  not  ? v';»i:!.i 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


27 


that  the  City  of  Mexico  was  much  further  removed  from  the 
center  of  civilization  in  the  United  States  than  Ft)rt  Snelling. 
The  change  from  the  tropical  South  to  the  hyi)orborean 
regions  of  the  North  had  a  beneficial  effect  on  the  health  of 
the  command.  The  climate  did  what  the  surgeons  failed  to 
do  with  Uncle  Sam's  medicine — it  banished  malaria  and  other 
diseases  incident  to  the  South,  contracted  in  Mexico,  from  the 
members  of  the  regiment.  As  Fort  Snelling  is  the  fountain- 
head  of  the  early  history  of  the  Northwest,  it  has  become 
classic  with  interesting  events  of  the  long  past.  Many  of 
them  have  never  been'  published.  I  shall  refer  to  the  grand 
t;ld  fortress  again,  and  at  more  hnigth,  in  the  pages  of  this 
humble  offering. 

IN   BUSINESS. 

Having  got  down  to  business,  in  examining  the  journals 
and  ledgers  of  Mr.  Steele,  the  posting  of  which  was  under 
my  supervision,  it  was  demonstrated  that  his  extensive  busi- 
ness was  in  a  most  satisfactory  condition.  His  mills  at  the 
Falls  were  completed,  and  his  trade  was  profitable. 

A   NEW    DEPAKTUIJK. 

On  the  morning  of  the  10th  of  June,  1849,  Mr.  Steele  (mme 
into  his  counting-room,  in  the  rear  of  the  sutler's  store,  and 
asked  if  I  could  spare  the  day  to  accompany  him  to  the  Falls 
of  St.  Anthony.  He  added  that  he  had  an  object  in  view, 
which  might  possibly  be  of  advantage  to  me.  Having  decided 
to  go  with  him,  I  did  not  inquire,  at  the  time,  in  relation  to 
the  proposed  visit 


y? 


CHAPTER  V.  • 


ANOTHEK   VISIT   TO   THE   FALLS   OF  ST.    ANTHONY. 

•  i.  the  way  up  to  the  Fnlls  with  Mr.  Steele  he  said  that, 
from  the  best  information  he  could  get,  the  military  reserva- 
tion of  Fort  Suelling  would  soon  bo  reduced  in  size ;  that 
many  valuable  claims  could  be  secured  on  it,  provided  the 
Secretary  of  War  woiild  grant  permission  to  occiipy  them  ; 
that  Ht)n.  Robert  Smlih,  M.  C  from  the  Alton  district,  Illi- 
nois, had  secured  such  a  permit  to  hold  the  old  government 
property,  which  included  the  west  bank  of  the  Falls  ;  that  the 
claim  immediately  north  of  Mr.  Smith's  was  equally  as 
desirable,  and  he  thought,  if  I  wished,  there  would  be  no 
difficulty  in  obtaining  War  Secretary  Marcy's  approval  o^its 
occupation. 

MY   CLAIM    AT    THE    FALLS. 

During  the  journey  up  to  the  Falls  we  completed  our  jjlans 
and  marked  oiit  the  chum  that  became  my  home  for  many 
years.  I  readily  obtained  permission  from  the  Secretary  of 
War  to  hold  the  claim,  but  was  under  bonds  to  maintain  a 
free  ferry  for  the  crossing  of  government  troops.  There  was 
constant  communication  between  the  government  forces  at 
Fort  Snelling  and  Fort  Ripley.  Tluis,  through  the  engage- 
ment with  Mr.  Steele,  I  became  an  occiipant  of  the  land  that 
I  had  so  miicb  admired  a  few  weeks  before  on  the  occasion  of 
my  first  visit  to  the  Falls.  Had  any  one  intinuited  such  a 
thing  as  possible  at  that  time  I  should  have  considered  it  the 
most  visionary  of  all  earthly  matters.  The  idea  of  such  a 
result  did  not  enter  my  mind  at  my  first  visit.     There,  on  the 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


29 


bank  of  the  river,  jiust  nlxn-e  the  rapids,  I  coniinenced  build- 
ing my  humble  houso,  t(j  which,  when  finished,  I  brought 
my  wife  as  a  bride,  and  in  it  my  first  children  were  born,  the 
eldest  being  the. first-bom  child  in  Minneapolis  proper. 

Under  that  primitive  roof  many  important  historical 
events  occurred  ;  among  them  the  organizjitioii  of  the  county 
of  Hennepin,  and  election  of  the  first  officers  of  the  county. 
Indian  councils  were  held  in  it. 


SOME   OF   MY   INDIAN    OUE8TS. 

Little  Crow,  Good  Road,  Gray  Eagle,  Shakopee,  and  other 
Dakota  chiefs,  held  consultation  with  the  government  agents, 
Major  Richard  Murphy  and  Major  McLenii,  in  that  house  ; 
while  the  AVinnebagoes,  when  residents  of  the  upper  countiy, 
seemed  to  think  they  had  a  jn-e-emption  right  on  their  old 
doMni-country  friend,  when  making  portage  around  the  Falls. 
Hole-iu-the-Day  and  his  Chippewa  braves  frecpiently  dropped 
in.  The  nearer  the  dinner  lioiir  the  better  it  suited  the 
different  tribes  to  make  their  call.  A  bMrr<'l  or  two  of  crack- 
ers, and  a  good  supply  of  salt  pork,  was  a  special  delight  to 
the  red  brothers.  It  was  thought  advisable  that  these  Indian 
luxuries  shoidd  tdwuys  bo  on  haiul.  and  ready  for  any  emer- 
gency. They  i)reventcd  dejiredations  on  the  garden,  growing 
crops,  and  slock.  If  the  Dakotas  did  not  always  respect  the 
property  of  the  missicmaries — such  men  as  Dr.  Williamson, 
Dr.  Riggs,  and  Rev.  M.  N.  Adams  it  coidd  hardly  be  expected 
that  they  would  exhibit  any  greatt'r  respect  for  the  jjossessions 
of  a  }iian  who  lived  almost  alone  on  the  borders  of  their 
territory. 

Tlie  I'liited  States  judges  in  the  Federal  court  frecjuently 
sjvt  "ni  chaml)ers"'  in  the  small  i)arlor  of  the  old  house,  and 
decided  (juestions  of  law  that  were  brought  before  them — 
much  to  the  disgust  of  tlie  officers  at  Fort  Snelllng.  Some- 
times soldiers  woidd  be  brought  before  a  Federal  judge  in 
relation  to  the  legality  of  their  enlistment.  At  one  time  when 
Judge  Chatfield  occupied  the  bench,  ho  ordered  Colonel  Lee, 
the  commuiuiing  offic(>r  at  the  Fort,  to  discharge  from  the 
anny  two  privates  who  had  enlisted  before  they  were  twenty- 
one  years  old,  without  tlie  consent  of  their  parents. 


30 


PERSONAL    HECOLLECTIONS 


Then  again  the  pioneer  ministers  of  the  gospel  would  hold 
meetings  on  Suiulays,  and  sometimes  on  week  days,  in  the 
lone  house.  The  congregation  would  consist  pretty  much  of 
my  family  and  those  emjiloyed  to  work  for  Mr.  Steele  and 
myself. 

Once  in  a  while  this  old  house  would  be  honored  with  the 
presence  of  politicians.  For  instance,  when  the  fourth  legis- 
lature met  in  St.  Paul,  on  the  "th  of  January,  1853,  the  house 
failed  to  secure  a  majority  of  votes  for  any  one  man  for 
speaker.  Two  or  three  weeks  were  8i)ent  in  voting  without 
choice.  Many  of  the  members  became  almost  discouraged. 
When  it  adjourned,  one  Saturday,  without  an  election,  the 
Whig  members'  held  a  caucus,  at  which  it  was  decided  to 
invite  all  the  Whig  members  of  both  houses  to  be  at  the  little 
dwelling  under  the  hill,  up  at  the  Falls,  on  Sunday,  to  see  if 
measures  could  not  he  devised  for  the  election  of  a  speaker, 
and  to  effect  an  organization.  Tbey  all  came.  There  was 
Dr.  Day,  Hon.  John  D.  Ludden,  Hon.  Justus  C.  Ramsey, 
Colonel  N.  Greene  Wilcox,  and  others,  of  the  house  ;  and 
Hon.  Martin  McLeod,  D.  B.  Loomis,  Geo.  W.  Farrington, 
L.  A.  Babcock,  and  N.  W.  Kittstni  of  the  territorial  senate. 
Messrs.  Bass,  Brunson,  J.  P.  Owens,  and  other  j)rominent 
citizens  of  St.  Paul,  accompanied  them.  Suffice  to  say,  a 
programme  was  arranged,  and  on  the  morrow,  at  the  opening 
of  the  session,  the  dead-lock  was  broken,  and  Dr.  David  Day 
was  elected  spenker. 

ANOTHEK   GOOD   8KHVICE   IN    THE   ANCIENT    BUILDING. 


In  the  early  dnys,  after  the  lands  could  be  occupied  by  the 
settlers,  the  different  religious  denominations  held  meetings 
in  the  winter.  The  result  was  many  conversions.  Our 
good  friends,  the  Baptists,  with  old  Father  Cressey,  and  the 
respected  elders  Palmer  and  Russell,  werc^  there,  and  through 
their  influence  a  revival  of  miich  moment  occurred.  The 
house  being  close  to  the  bank  of  the  riAer,  it  was  used  for  the 
reception  of  the  members  after  baptisms,  on  the  cold  Sun- 
days. It  happened,  one  winter,  that  a  1  most  every  Sunday  when 
these  solemn  rites  were  observed,  the  mercury  fell  to  nearly 
forty  degrees.     A  hole  of  sufllcieut  size  v.-as  made  in  the  ice 


OF   MINNESOT.V   AND    I'I'S    I'COPLE. 


31 


to  admit  the  clergyiuHu  and  n  fuiuUdatt*  for  baptism,  when  tlie 
immersion  would  take  place.  The  i)ariies  would  come  out  of 
the  river  almost  covered  with  n  sheet  of  ice,  when  they  were 
hurried  into  the  Jiouse  for  a  clmuy;o  of  dothinj^.  There  was 
always  a  good  firo  in  the  few  rooms  on  these  interesting  occa- 
sions—especially for  the  benefit  of  the  new-made  Christians. 
There  never  was  the  least  cold  taken  by  any  of  those  who 
were  immersed  during  those  extremely  cold  days. 

The  lowly  dwelling  was  fnv^uently  honored  with  the  pres- 
ence of  distinguished  visitors.  One  early  autumn  the  Swed- 
ish aiitlioross.  Miss  Fredericka  IJremer,  wa^  entei-tained  for  a 
brief  j)eriod.  Another  summer  the  authoresses,  Miss  Clark 
and  Mrs.  E.  F.  Ellet,  made  the  household  glad  by  a 
sojourn  of  a  day  or  two.  Military  men  of  high  rank  fre- 
quently made  it  their  home.  From  there  Governor  Isaac 
Ives  Stevens  started  on  his  extraordinary  trip  to  the  Pacific. 

The  first  agricultural  society  in  the  Territory  was  t)rganized 
there,  the  first  singing-school  held,  and  the  first  lyceum 
matured.  Marriages  were  solemnized — the  most  interesting 
of  which,  to  my  family,  was  that  of  Mr.  Marshall  Eobinson 
to  Miss  Mary  E.  Miller,  the  youngest  sister  of  Mrs.  Stevens. 
Miss  Miller  was  the  first  public-school  teacher  in  the  i)ioneer 
settlement.  The  organization  of  the  first  school-district  on 
the  west  side,  under  the  laws  of  the  Territory,  was  completed 
in  the  house,  and  ^^Fessrs.  Edward  Murphy,  «Tu(lge  F.  R. 
E.    Cornell,   and   John    H.    Stevens   were   elected    trii.stees. 

The  name  of  the  ])lace  was  first  jjroposed  to  the  county 
commissioners  l)y  Mr.  Chas.  Hong,  while  thos«>  oificers  were  in 
session  in  the  jjarlor.  The  name  was  i)romi)tly  confirmeil  Ijy 
the  board.  At  a  previoiis  sessicm  the  name  «)f  Albion  had 
been  agreed  upon.  The  name  ^Minneapolis  is  derived  from 
the  classic  Greek  and  the  wild  Dakota  languages. 

The  first  justices  of  the  precinct  and  the  first  officers  of  the 
county  were  sworn  into  office  under  its  humble  roof.  Its 
diminutive  walls  protected  many  a  poor  wanderer  far  from 
home  and  friends.  Its  site  was  on  a  small  portion  of  the 
grounds  occupied  by  the  union  depot  near  the  end  of  the 
suspension-bridge.  The  house  is  in  a  good  state  of  preservn- 
tion  on  Sixteenth  avenue  south  between  Fourth  and  Fifth  sts. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

The  summer  of  1849  at  Fort  Snelling  passed  quietly.  The 
last  t)f  May  the  govenxor  and  other  officers  appointed  by  the 
President  for  the  territory  arrived  and,  on  June  1st  at  St. 
Paul,  assumed  the  duties  of  their  high  trusts.  The  governor, 
Alexander  llamsey,  fretpuMitly  called  at  the  Port,  and  made 
many  friends. 

Emigration  was  the  great  staple  during  the  year,  and  St. 
Paul  received  the  lion's  share  of  it. 


KDITOU   OOODHUE. 

Tlio  village  was  fortunate  in  its  })ioneer  editor*.  Colonel 
James  M.  Goodluu^,  who  wielded  a  pen  (npial  to  any  writer 
on  the  continent.  I  had  known  him  in  AVisconsin,  and  was 
proud  to  class  him  among  my  friends.  He  was  faithful  to 
the  whole  territory  Imt,  as  a  matter  of  cotirse,  he  saw  more 
favorable  prosjjects  for  the  future  of  St.  Paul  than  for  other 
portions  of  the  territory.  This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at ;  it 
was  his  home.  In  the  fall  he  wrote  to  me  these  playful,  char- 
acteristic lines  :  "The  election  has  gone — all  right  enough,  of 
"  course.  I  liave  done  my  duty  as  drummer.  If  our  folks  did 
"  not  choose'  to  fight  and  conquer,  it  was  their  own  fault.  Tell 
"  Steele  that  as  the  organ,  I  liavc^  to  grind  for  the  organization, 
"  whatever  it  may  be.  But  he  understands  that.  AVliatever 
"comes  up  as  regular,  I  have  to  conjugate  through  all  modes 
"and  tenses — and  class  everything  else  as  'irregiilar,  defective 
"  (^r  redundant' — until  after  election.  1  shall  try  to  come  up 
"on  the  first  ice.     Yours  tndy." 

CHAPLAIN   GEAR. 

Fort  Snelling  »vas  favored  in  having  an  efficient  chaplain. 
In  July,  1848,   while   on    board  a  steamer  en  route  from 


OP   MINNK80TA   AND  IT8   TEOrLE. 


Chicago  to  Buifnlo,  I  hnd  ns  n  fellow-jmssnif^er  Rev.  Dr.  E. 
G.  Gear,  who  was  th(3  chai)lain  in  qiu'stion.  Ho  was  making 
a  pilgrimage  to  the  scenes  of  his  early  ejistern  labors,  and  to 
visit  the  churches  he  had  ministered  to  so  faithfully  in  eiirly 
life.  He  had  many  years  ago  abandoned  these  eomparativtdy 
easy  places  for  the  life  of  a  clergyman  in  the  wild  northwest 
which,  at  that  peri(«l,  contained  but  few  whites ;  yet  among 
them  were  men  of  rare  ability.  At  that  early  day  Dr.  Gear 
was  of  the  opinion  that  many  of  the  settlers  did  not  select  the 
northwest  for  homes  from  choice,  but  drifted  lun*e  from 
varioiis  causes  ;  some  came  in  the  army,  many  in  the  Indian 
trade,  others  prospecting  for  lumber,  while  a  few  were 
attracted  by  the  beneficial  influence  of  the  climate. 

Agriculture  was  th(>n  in  its  infancy  and  at  a  low  ebb  north 
of  the  Iowa  line.  Dr.  Gear  thought  the  indications  were  that 
must  of  what  is  now  Minnesota  would  suffer  from  a  lack  of 
sufficient  moisture  in  the  atmosphere  to  mature  the  crops. 
There  was  a  jjossibility  that  a  large  portion  of  the  northwest 
would,  for  a  long  time,  be  occupied  only  by  Indians. 

Dr.  Gear's  life  and  labors  at  Fort  Snelling  brought  him  in 
ccmtact  with  all  the  prominent  residents  and  tourists  t)f  the 
upper  Mississippi  of  two-score  years  ago  and,  being  a  close 
observer  of  men,  he  seldom  made  a  mistake  in  estimating 
their  worth.  He  belonged  to  an  old  New  England  family  of 
Puritans,  and  thoiagh  an  Episcopalian,  he  retained  all  the 
characteristics  of  his  ancestors  in  relation  to  the  stem  duties 
of  life.  A  man  incapable  of  knowingly  doing  the  slightest 
injustice  to  any  one,  he  could  not  countenance  a  fault  in  others. 
He  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  immigration  of  1849,  so 
different  from  that  of  previous  years  not  supei-i(U"  in  ability 
or  morality,  but  the  men  were  in  many  instances  acctmipanied 
by  their  families,  and  had  come  to  stay. 

Dr.  Gear  was   born   in   Connecticut,  September  1793,  and 

was  ordained  to  the  ministry  by  Bishop  Hobai-t  of  New  York. 

In  1835,  he  was  sent  as  a  missionary  to  Galena,  Illinois. 

Three  years  later,  through,  the  influence  of  General   Brooke 

and  other  high  ofiicers  in  the  army,  he  was  appointed  chaplain 

at  Fort  Snelling  and  assumed  his  duties  as  such  at  that  place 

in  the  spring  of  1839.     Ho  had  an  interesting  family.     Most 
3 


i    \ 


^lli 


34 


I'EUHONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


of  hiH  (luughttTH  niurrit'cl  jiniiy  officerH.  HiH  only  sod,  Hon. 
Joliii  H.  Gear,  was  ior  sevcnil  years  governor  of  Iowa.  He 
in  at  tliis  time  a  member  of  congress  from  that  state.  After 
Dr.  Gear  retired  from  the  ehajjlaincy  ho  lived  at  Minneapolis, 
in  which  city  his  death  occurred  on  the  13th  of  October,  1873, 
at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  His  honored  remains  qiiietly  rest 
in  the  ])eauti£ul  Lakewood  cemetery.  His  death  was  a  great 
loss  to  the  people  of  the  noi'thwest.  His  aged  widow  and  two 
daughters  are  residents  of  this  city. 


'^ 


A    TKimiTK    TO    THE     NOHLK     MEX    WHO    HAVE     I'ASSED    AWAY. 

People  of  the  present  day 'may  not  properly  appreciate  the 
good  works  of  those  of  a  past  generation  ;  but  it  is  n  pleasure 
to  those  who  have  outlived  their  former  friends  and  associates 
to  speak  of  those  with  whom  they  were  intimate,  and  bear 
witness  ti»  the  present  generation  of  the  great  moral  worth  of 
those  who  have  crossed  the  silent  river.  The  pioneers  of 
Minnesota,  as  a  class,  were  nu-n  of  great  merit  —more  so  than 
in  many  other  states — etpial  to  the  stern  j)ilgrims  and  their 
descendants ;  perhaps  becaiise  there  was  a  mixture  of  all 
races,  uniting  the  best  blood  in  the  world,  which  could  not 
fail  to  accomplish  wonders. 

Every  one  seemed  pleased  with  the  new  officers,  and  the 
territory  was  started  under  the  most  favorable  auspices. 


1 


1 


riONEER    CELEIJUATION.  OF    THE   FOUliTH   OF   JULY    IX  ST.  I'AUL. 

The  Fourth  of  July  was  obsen^ed  all  through  the  territory, 
but  the  chief  attraction  was  in  St.  Paul,  when  St.  Anthony, 
Stillwater,  and  other  hamlets,  joined  the  St.  Paulites  in  the 
celebration.  Sauk  Rapids  furnished  the  orator,  the  newly- 
appointed  Judge  B.  B.  Meeker ;  St.  Paiil  the  reader  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  Billy  Phillips  ;  Fort  Snelling 
the  chaplain.  Rev.  Dr.  Gear,  and  also  the  marshal,  Franklin 
Steele.  Unquestionably  Mr.  Steele  was  as  fine  a  specimen 
of  manhood  as  any  state  ever  produced.  Tall,  well-propor- 
tioned, pleasing,  courteous,  gentlemanly,  an  accomplished 
rider — no  wonder  that  upon  a  fine  horse  on  this  occasion  he 
attracted  universal  attention  and  admiration.  It  was  said,  at 
the  time,  that  this  was  the  most  successful  celebration  ever 


1 


OF  MINNEHOTA   AND   ITS   I'EOPLE. 


86 


held  in  the  uorthweHt,  It  reciuires  lots  of  people  to  make  a 
BUccesHful  celebration.  They  luul  thcni  in  St.  I'aul  that  day. 
Many  of  tliem  were  newly-arrived  inimigrantH. 

vnOM    llIK    ]{ED    ItlVER    OF   THE    NOHTH. 

The  Red-river  enrnvan  arrived  soon  after  the  celebration 
of  the  Fonrth.  Our  old  friend,  Hon.  Norman  W.  Kittson, 
was  with  the  com])any.  This  train  broiight  in  an  immense 
(piautity  of  furs,  pemmican,  dried  bntfalo-tonjjfvie,  and  all  the 
j)roducts  of  the  great  northwest.  Lively  times  we  had  for  the 
next  four  weeks  !  IJiilfalo-robes,  martin,  fisher,  otter,  mnsk- 
rat,  fox,  badger,  bear,  wolf,  wild-cat,  lynx,  beaver,  and  all 
other  kinds  of  fnr  incident  to  a  high  northern  latitude,  was 
brouglit  from  the  extreme  north  to  exchange  for  merchandise 
or  cash.  Whole  cart-loads  of  the  handiwork  of  the  squaws 
were  in  the  train.  There  were  moccasins,  gloves  and  mittens, 
worked  in  every  conceivable  manner.  Beads,  porcupine- 
quills,  and  birds'  feathers,  were  worked  into  them.  These 
rai"e  articles  proved  that  the  native  women  of  the  extreme 
north  jjossessed  artistic  taste.  It  plainly  indicated  that  they 
had  instructors  superior  to  the  savages. 

The  arrival  of  these  Red-river  carts,  so  called,  added  much 
to  the  life  and  ti-ade  of  the  territory.  This  Avas  the  beginning 
of  the  wholesale  trade  of  St.  Paul.  "Tall  oaks  from  little 
acorns  grow."  Many  of  these  small  traders  who  accompanied 
the  train  brought  considerable  money  with  them,  which  they 
paid  for  goods.  It  was  the  "  coin  of  the  realm",  mostly 
British  sovereigns.  It  was  seldom  that  an  American  dollar, 
half-dollar  or  a  quarter,  half  or  whole  eagle,  came  into  the 
possession  of  these  Red-river  merchants.  The  transportation 
of  the  products  from  the  far  north  by  the  Red-river  carts, 
cost  but  little.  A  solitary  ox  was  harnessed  to  a  cart,  and  one 
man  had  charge  of  several  oxen.  The  team:  <'t  -e  fed  exclu- 
sively on  grass.  Tlte  carts  were  made  whoiiy  of  wood,  the 
harness  of  raw-hide — everything  being  of  the  utmost  simplic- 
ity, and  of  little  expense.  Not  a  bit  of  iron  about  the  carts  ; 
not  a  buckle  about  the  harness  1 


CHAPTER  VII. 


During  the  season  of  1849  Hevernl  clmn^'cs  were  made  in  the 
command  at  the  Ftn't.  Brevet-Major  LewiH  A.  ArmiHtead, first 
lieutenant  of  company  E,  arrived  and  assumed  conunand  of 
tlie  company.  Major  Armistead  was  a  s*  )n  of  a  f ajuous  general 
in  the  army.  A  Virginian  by  birth,  he  followed  the  destinies 
of  his  state  in  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  became  an  officer  of 
high  rank  in  the  confederate  army,  and  was  killed  in  Pickett's 
celebrated  charge  at  Gettysburg.  ireneral  Anuistead, 
near  the  close  of  the  charge  placed  his  hat  on  sword, 
rallied  what  men  he  coiild,  and  rusheil  on  to  the  cor  vhere 

he  fell  pierced  with  bullets. 

Another  arrival  early  in  October  was  that  of  Brevet-second- 
lieutenant  Richard  W.  Johnscm,  assigned  to  comi)any  C. 
Lieutenant  Johnson  was  just  fnuii  West  Point.  He  was  the 
yoimgest  officer  at  the  Fort.  Full  of  bright  hopes  and  antici- 
pations, his  presence  added  much  to  the  interesting  events 
that  always  occur  in  garrison  life.  There  is  nothing  that 
causes  young  officers  to  be  so  completely  contented  with  their 
work,  when  first  assigned  to  duty,  (usually  at  some  distant 
frontier  post, )  after  graduating  at  West  Point,  as  the  society 
of  beautiful  and  accomplished  young  ladies.  The  vicinity  of 
the  Fort,  during  Lieutenant  Johnson's  first  year  at  that  place 
was  particularly  fortunate  in  this  respect.  Ho  became 
engaged  to,  and  eventually  married,  one  of  the  most  charming 
of  them — Miss  Rachel  Steele,  a  sister  of  Franklin  Steele  and 
of  Mrs.  General  Sibley  and  of  Mrs.  Dr.  Potts.  Lieutenant 
Johnson's  promotion  in  the  army  was  rapid.  He  passed 
through  all  the  different  grades  of  rank,  and  retired  in  conse- 
quence of  severe  wounds  received  in  battle,  with  the  rank  of 


OF    .MINMISOTA    AND    ITS   PF.Ol'LE. 


37 


?  in  the 

nd,  first 
laiul  o£ 
goi\eral 
I'stiiiios 
ffic-i>r  of 
'ickett's 
iuistead, 
sword, 
vliere 

-secoud- 
pany  0. 
was  the 
d  autici- 
r  events 
iiig  that 
ith  their 
distant 
society 
cinity  of 
lat  i)lace 
became 
sharmiug 
teele  and 
eutenaut 
passed 
in  conse- 
e  rank  of 


I 

I 

t 


ninjor-genoral.  Miuuesotians  nro  i)rou(l  of  his  record,  as  lie 
is  idcnlilicd  with  us.     Since  he  retired  from  tlie  army  he  has 

1 11  OHO  of  our  best  citizens.     His  liome  is  in  St.  Paul. 

Having  led  an  eventful  and  useful  life,  ho  is  now  rea])ing  the 
fruits  of  liis  labor,  honored  by  the  wiiolo  community. 

The  first  general  eirction  after  the  orguni/ation  of  the  ter- 
ritory was  held  in  August.  Hon.  H.  H.  Sibley  was  eh'cted 
territorial  delegate  to  congress.  The  few  citizens  at  Fort 
Snt'lling  went  to  Mendota  to  vote.  Hon.  Martin  ]\IcIie(Kl,  of 
Lac-(|ui-parle,  was  honored,  on  tlu^  occasion,  with  a  seat  in 
the  upper  lumse  of  the  legislature  ;  ami  th(>  respected  Dakota 
missionary,  Rev.  G.  H.  Pond,  and  Alex.  Bailey,  were  elected 
delegates  to  the  lower  house. 

In  June,  Colonel  James  Hughes  arrived  in  St.  Paul,  from 
the  east,  with  an  outfit  for  a  tirst-class  weekly  newt  "iper. 
He  Koon  disposed  of  his  interest  in  it  to  Major  N.  M  xjean 
and  Colonel  John  P.  Owens,  who  issued  the  Chronicle  and 
Register — a  rival  to  the  Pioneer. 

A  United  States  court  was  luld  August  20th,  1.S40,  in  the 
old  govenuuent  mill  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Fails  of  St. 
Anthony.  Judge  13.  B.  Meeker  i)resided.  The  jurisdiction 
of  the  court  covered  many  thousand  S(puiie  miles  of  territory. 
Franklin  Steele  was  foreman  of  the  grand  jury.  Aft(!r  a 
session  of  two  days,  the  court  adjourned  without  tran.sacting 
any  business.  This  was  the  first  court  ever  held  in  wliat  is 
now  Minneap'^lis.  Thirty-nine  years  after  this  event  there 
are  four  district  judges  almost  constantly  in  session  at  the 
court-hoiise,  a  few  blocks  distant  from  where  the  first  court 
was  held,  beside  two  municipal  judges  who  hold  daily  sessions, 
and  all  are  crowded  with  business.  To  the  best  of  my 
knowledge,  there  is  not  a  member  of  the  first  court  held  in 
that  old  mill  alive  to-day.  The  judge  and  all  the  jury  have 
crossed  the  silent  river. 

Jud<;e  Meeker  was  boi'n  in  Connecticut,  on  the  13th  of 
March,  1813,  and  died  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  while  on  his 
way  east,  February  3,  1873,  aged  sixty  years.  Previous  to  his 
appointment  as  one  of  the  judges  in  Minnesota,  lie  had  for 
some  years  resided  in  Kentucky,  and  was  appointed  from 
that  state.  He  was  closely  identified  with  Minnesota  during 
his  residence  here,  and  largely  contributed  to  its  prosperity. 


38 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


The  connty  of  Meeker  took  its  uiiiue  from  him.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  constitutional  eowventiou  which  was  held  in 
St  Panl  in  1857.  AUliough  never  married,  he  took  a  great 
interest  in  the  schools  of  the  State  and  labored  incessantly 
for  their  benefit.  He  was  fond  of  agricnltural  and  horticiilt- 
nral  i)nr8nits.  He  purchased  and  worked  a  farm  just  below 
and  bordering  on  old  St.  Anthony.  He  was  a  good  lawyer, 
an  honest  judge,  a  valuable  citizen,  iiniisually  respected,  and 
his  death  was  regretted  by  the  community. 

VISIT   OF    MRS.    SNELLINO   TO   THE   FORT. 


One  of  the  most  interesting  events  of  the  summer  at  Fort 
Snelling,  in  1849,  was  the  arrival  of  Mrs.  Abigail  Hinit 
Snelliug,  widow  of  Colonel  Josiah  Snelling,  fnmi  whom  the 
Fort  derived  its  name,  and  who  commanded  the  troops  during 
its  erection.  3Irs.  Snelling  was  the  mother  of  the  second 
white  child  born  in  what  is  now  Minnesota.  The  parentage 
of  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  territory  was  a  soldier  and 
his  wife.  The  wife  was  a  laundress  who  accom{)anied  Colonel 
Loovenworth's  command,  and  the  little  one  was  born  soon 
nft(^r  the  arrival  of  the  troo])s  near  the  juncti(m  of  the  St. 
Pett'r  river  with  the  Mississippi,  early  in  September,  1819. 

Mrs.  Snelling  was  a  daughter  of  an  army  officer.  Colonel 
Hxiut.  She  was  fifty -one  years  old  at  the  time  of  her  ^^sit  to 
the  Fort,  biit  had  b(>cn  a  widow  many  years.  She  was  with 
her  husband  when  ho  commenced  building  the  Fort  in  1820, 
when  only  twenty-three  years  of  age.  IMrs.  Snelling  remained 
some  time  at  the  Fort,  the  guest  of  the  commanding  officer, 
Colonel  Loomis.  On  her  first  visit  with  Colonel  Loomis 
afttn*  her  arrival,  to  the  cinuetery  which  contained  the  grave 
of  lier  little  girl  wlio  Avas  gently  laid  to  rrst  so  many  years 
b(»fore,  she  was  greatly  overcome  with  grief,  and  oould  not  be 
comforted.  The  little  gi-ave  had  been  well  cax'ed  for  ;  the 
sod  upon  it  was  green,  the  little  stone  monument  was  in 
})iace,  with  the  loved  letters  E.  S.  as  plain  as  on  the  day  the 
memorial  of  love  was  placed  over  the  precious  remains  so 
many  long  years  ago.  The  sad  scenes  attendant  upon  the 
sickness  and  death  of  the  dear  little  one,  "in  life's  early 
march,  v.-lien  her  bosom  was  young",   were   all  brought  back 


OP  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  TKOPLE, 


39 


t«  tiie  fond  juollier  as  vividly  as  they  were  more  thuii  ii  score 
of  years  jjrevioiisly. 

The  whole  garrison,  and  the  citizens  around  the  Fort, 
endeavored  to  make  Mrs.  Snelling's  visit  i)leasant.  In  leaving 
the  grand  old  foi-tress  which  her  husband  Imilt,  she  gratefully 
tendered  her  thaidvs  to  those  who  had  contributed  to  her 
comfort  during  her  visit  to  her  early  home. 

ItEV.    ]•;.    ]).    NEILL. 

After  Colonel  Loomis  assumed  command  in  ltS49  he  fre- 
quently invited  the  different  ministers  of  the  gosjx^l  to  occupy 
Dr,  Gear's  pulpit  in  the  little  chapel,  when  it  was  not  tilled 
by  the  dwtor  himself.  Rev.  E.  D.  Nedl,  then  a  young  man, 
■who  had  just  come  to  St.  Paul,  gave  us  an  occasional  sermon. 
He  was  a  great  favorite  with  Colonel  Loomis  and  the  rank 
and  tile  of  the  olil  Sixth  Infantry.  One  pleasant  mid-summer 
Sunday  Ave  were  greatly  alarmed  when  informed  that  Mr. 
Neill,  who  was  accomjmnied  by  Mrs.  Neill,  wliile  on  his  way 
to  })reach  to  us  had,  in  consequence  of  an  ai'cideut,  fallen 
over  the  jjrecipice  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  riverfront  the 
Fort  Fortunately  they  received  Imt  little  injury.  As  usual 
Mr.  Neill  gave  us  a  usefid  and  instructive  sermon.  The  next 
day  Cohinel  Loomis  came  to  Philander  Prescott  ami  myself 
and  said  he  had  taxed  himself  twenty  dollars,  Mr.  Prescott 
ten,  and  myself  five,  to  be  handed  to  Mr.  Xeill  as  a  small 
"thnnksginng  token"  for  the  ])rovidt'ntial  esca]H>  of  his  wife 
and  himself  wluMi  thrown  from  the  carriage  the  previ(ms  day. 
We  accordhigly  waited  \i])on  Mi',  and  Mrs.  Neill,  who  were  at 
Colontd  Loomi.s'  lieadquarters,  but  Mr.  Neill  would  only 
accept  the  snwill  trdriite  as  a  l)estt)wal  to  the  American  ]5oiird 
of  Missions,  under  wliose  auspices  he  was  preaching  the 
gospel  in  the  then  tiir-n»n-thwest. 

Minnesota  was  pecvdiarly  fortunate  in  the  advent  of  many 
of  its  early  settlers  ;  but  to  no  oiie  is  the  state  more  imh4)ted 
for  a  combhiation  of  everything  that  is  desirable  in  t»ne  per- 
son, tlian  to  Mr.  Neill.  As  a  Christian  minister,  writer, 
l)atriot,  and  philanthropist,  Ins  name  will  be  handed  down  to 
future  generations,  and  his  memory  will  be  ever  revered  by 
those  who  have  the  good  of  the  world  at  heart.  To  him  we  are 
greatly  indebted  for  perfecting  our  system  of  common  schools. 


hm 


40 


PERSONAL  15ECOLLECTIONS 


Oiico  ill  Ji  w'liiU'  Dr.  Williamson  was  with  us.  Hc^liad  bo(Mi 
so  loii^a  missionary  with  the  Indians  that  his  stylo  of  pnvich- 
ing  was  difToront  froni  that  of  most  stn-monizers  of  the  day. 
His  laiigiiag(>  was  so  simi)h>  that  ovory  one  could  n^ndily 
understand  what  ho  said.  His  .sormons  woro  mostly  oomposod 
of  A\<)rds  of  ono  syllabic     hut  thoy  w(>ro  always  otfoctivo. 

Major  K.  (1.  Murphy  was  tlio  Uiiitod  Statos  Indian  Agont 
at  Fort  Siiolling  in  184:*.).  Ho  was  a  native  of  Teunossoo,  but 
lind  l)oon  a  resident  of  rincknoyville,  in  sonthorn  Ijlinois, 
from  boyhood.  Ho  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  churoli — 
and  n  democrat  of  the  firmest  typo  ;  a  man  of  strong  proju- 
dicoR,  ]»ut  thorimghly  honest.  Ho  nuido  a  good  agent  for  the 
Dakotas.  Thoir  intcu'osts  w<'ro  looked  after  and  righteously 
cared  for.     No  trader  was  suffered  to  take  advantage  of  them. 

M(wt  of  the  Indian  tril)es  on  the  continent  are  improvident. 
The  ])akotas  are  p(M-ha])s  moi-e  so  than  nxany  others.  If 
their  hunger  is  satisfied  to-day,  they  are  likely  to  neglect  to 
provide  that  which  will  be  necessary  for  their  stomachs  to- 
morrow. Majtir  Murphy  liad  been  lirought  up  to  t)bserve  the 
rule  that  it  is  necessary  to  look  out  for  the  future  needful 
BXipply  of  the  wants  of  the  "inner  man",  and  he  ctmld  not 
undtMsland  why  his  Indians  should  neglect  such  an  imi)ortant 
rocpiisite  that  they  might  not  suffer  from  huiigei-.  He  found 
it  <jnite  impossible  to  instill  into  them  the  habits  or  ijrincijiles 
of  economy,  and  a.'=  ?>  residt  the  agency  was  besieged  (^aily  by 
alt>t  of  beggars  for  bread  and  meat. 

Having  from  boyliotxl  li\  ed  on  tlie  frontier,  whicli  was  more 
or  less  traversed  })y  the  Winnebagoes,  Sacs  and  Foxes,  Pot- 
tawatomies,  Chippeways  and  other  tribes,  I  found  the  Dakottis 
mor»>  given  to  ffiult-tindiiig  than  any  dther  tribe.  In  fact 
they  gave  their  agent  but  little  rvat  In  thos<>  early  days  the 
otFico  was  anything  but  a  pleasant  one.  In  order  to  bottoi* 
their  condition,  Indians  must  bo  taught  the  imjUJiiant  lesson 
that  manual  labor  is  not  degrading.  \V'hen»they  shall  be 
convincetl  of  this,  it  will  not  be  a  grefit  task  to  civilize  them. 
Tliey  nnist  be  hronghi  to  the  knowl(Hlg(>  that  to  liold  the  plow 
is  Jin  honorable  as  well  as  a  necessary  occupation.  The  idea 
that  "  the  only  gowl  Indian  is  a  deud  Indian",  is  simply 
absurd.  There  is  a  blossom  in  the  wilderness  of  the  lieart,  of 
almost  every  Intiiftn,  Yet  wlien  arovised  the  red  man  Ih 
callable  of  committii>gtlie  most  horrible  outrages. 


)roaoli- 
le  day. 
ronvlily 
iiipoHod 

A'O. 

I  Agoiit 

l|UuoiB, 
Inircli— 
^  proju- 
it  for  the 
rliteouttly 
?  of  tlioni. 
)rovidont. 

tliers.    If 
iiogloct  to 

)iuafhH  U>- 

,bHorve  tlie 

ire  iieoclfixl 
cimld  not 
important 
He  found 
Iji-inciplos 
cl  c'.aily  by 

\\i  was  mor^ 
[foxos,  Pot- 

Lliol)ivl«>tas 
j„..     In  fact 
|vly  days  tlie 
U>r  U)  better 
n-tant  lesBOU 
key  shall  be 
|iv\U/o  tbew- 
^,)]d  tlio  plow 
Tbe  idea 

tbo  heart,  of 
vod  nvan  is 


CHAPTER   VIII.   • 

In  1840  there  wen'  only  two  garriKonn  in  the  territory — 
Fort  Snelliiig  and  Fort  Ilijiley.  The  latter  was  first  called 
Gaines,  but  was  clian^ed  to  Ripley.  It  was  commanded  by 
Cnptain  .1.  IJ.  F.  Todd,  C!o.  A  of  the  Sixth.  Previous  to  the 
advent  of  the  "\Vinneba.t<oes  at  Long  Prairie  the  military  post 
in  the  extrenu!  upp(^r  valley  of  the  Mississippi  was  ample  for 
the  j)rotecti(m  of  the  white  and  red  popidation.  Fort  Ripley 
was  commenced  in  llu^  fall  of  1H48,  and  fini^-hed  the  next 
yea 

(^iI)tHin  Todd  was  a  cousin  of  Mrs.  Abraham  Lincoln.  He 
was  transfer reil  fnmi  Fort  Ripley  to  the  Missouri,  and  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  Yankton,  for  some  time  tlu?  capital  of 
Dakf>t(i.  He  retired  from  the  army,  and  was  twice 
elected  a  delegate  to  «-on^  s^  from  Dakota.  On  the 
breaking  (mt  of  the  rebellion  he  was  made  ii  general  in  the 
army,  and  died  during  the  war.  A  count)  in  Minnesota  takes 
its  name  from  General  Todd. 

Cajitain  Dnna,  another  officer  at  Fort  Ripley,  rose  also  to 
the  rank  of  major-general  during  the  war.  Brevet-Captain 
Geo.  W.  Long,  at  one  time  military  Becretary  to  General 
Scott,  was  lieutenant  in  Cai)tain  Todd's  company.  He  Ijecame 
a  eiuifederato  general,  but  did  not  survive  the  war.  All  of 
these  officers  were  frecpumt  visitors  at  Fort  Snelling  dur  tag 
the  yuir  1849. 

UETlTltX   OF  THE   KED  RIVER   EXPEDITION. 

The  command  of  Major  Woods  returned  from  the  Red 
river  expedition  early  in  Octol>er.     The  object  of  the  exinnli- 


42 


PEltSOXAL    llECOLLETCIONS 


tion  WRH  to  estHblish  the  exact  lK)mi(liirv  line  between  Minne- 
Butii  and  Canada  ;  to  set  monuments  thereon  ;  to  Ux'ate  the 
site  of  a  military  post  on  or  near  the  line  ;  to  {gather  in foruia- 
tion  in  rej^ard  to  the  i)ros{)eetivo  aij;rienltural  rescmrces  of  the 
valley  of  the  Red  river  of  the  NiU'th,  and  the  country  between 
the  Fort  and  the  northwest,  and  to  make  a  thorough  topo- 
graphical survey  of  the  whole  countr>'.  The  report  of  Captain 
Pope  contained  so  much  valuable  inforiuation  in  rej^ard  to 
the  new  coiintry  that  it  was  deemed  necessary  by  conj^ri'ss  to 
jnd)lish  it.  The  cOmnumd  during  the  loiij^- and  tedicms  jour- 
ney had  excellent  health,  and  enjoyed  i-are  sport  in  Inxnting 
buffalo,  several  herds  of  which  they  found.  Lightning  stnick 
Lieiitenant  Nelson's  tent  one  night  while  encamped  on  the 
borders  of  a  lake  in  the  northern  ])ortion  of  the  territory. 
He  received  a  serious  injury  therefrom,  and  did  not  entirely 
recover  from  the  stroke  for  nnmy  years. 

FIK8T   SESSION   OF   THE    TEKRITOlilAL   LEGISLATURE. 

The  first  legislature  of  the  territory  convened  in  St.  Paul 
on  the  Hd  of  Septend)er,  in  the  old  C-i'utral  hotel,  where  Gov- 
ernor Ilam.sey  delivered  his  nu'ssage.  Some  nine  counties 
were  created,  viz  :  Istaska,  Waubashaw,  Dahkotah,  AVahnnh- 
tjih,  Mahkakto,  Pend)ina,  Washington,  Ramsey,  and  Benton. 
The  names  of  nnmy  of  these  counties  have  been  changed  by 
legislation.  Some  have  been  blotted  out  altogethei'  ;  while  a 
decided  ii.iprovement  in  (he  spelling  of  all  of  them  of  Indian 
origin  has  l)een  made.  Hon.  David  Olmstead,  of  Long  Prairie, 
was  eh'cted  president  of  the  council,  and  Hon.  Joseph  W. 
Furber  was  elected  s'jcaker  of  the  house. 


NKdOI'IATIOXS    WITH     THE    INDIANS. 

There  was  a  great  gathering  of  the  Indians  in  Octoln^r  on 
the  Hats  between  the  St.  Peter  or  Minnesota  river  and  the 
trading  ])osts  at  M«'n<lota.  They  had  concentrated  to  met^t 
(Governor  Ramsey,  and  ex-Crovernor  Chambers  of  Iowa,  who 
had  been  appointed  commissioners,  on  the  jmrtof  the  govern- 
ment, to  make  a  treaty  in  relation  to  ceding  their  lands  west 
of  the  Mississip|)i.  The  prDjxtsed  treaty  was  a  failure  in  con- 
secjuence  of  the  absence  of  a  nuijority  of  the  Indians  ;  but  the 


Minne- 

•ato  the 
iifoium- 
vH  t)f  tlie 
betAVt'cn 

irh  toJM)- 

•  Capt'ii" 
rt'^anl  to 

ll^lTSS  tt) 
lOUS  joui- 
1  ImntiuK 
ing  stiait'k 
lhI  on  the 
territory. 
Dt  entirely 


ruRK. 

in  St.  Paul 
die  re  Gov- 
iio  fouuties 

"Wahiiah- 
u\  Benton. 

lanKetl  hy 

•  ;  while  a 
n  of  Indian 
)iig  Prairie, 

Joseph  W. 


OF   MINNESOTA  AND  ITS   PEOPLE.  ^ 

half-breed  tract,   so  called,   Imrdering  on  Lake  Pei)in,  was 
secured. 

FOUMATION    OF   \   LITERARY    SOCIETY. 

The  St.  Antliony  Library  Association,  incorporated  by  an 
act  of  the  h^gislature,  lato  in  the  fall  inaugurated  a  series  of 
lectures.  Eev.  E.  D.  Neill,  Kev.  Dr.  CJear,  Hon.  Win.  R. 
Marshall,  and  Lieutenant  E.  W.  Joluison,  among  others, 
lectured  ])eforo  the  association. 

During  the  season  of  1849  St.  Anthony  made  great  progress 
v.\  tlie  erection  of  liouses,  and  in  other  imi)rovements.  Most 
of  the  iinmigratiou  was  from  Maine.  The  people  Ijrought 
their  habits  of  industry  and  economy  with  them  ;  nor  did 
they  leave  behind  their  fondness  for  reading,  and  for  attend- 
ing churdi.  The  people  at  that  early  day  set  a  good 
example  to  their  contemporaries  in  other  i)ortions  of  the 
new  noi'thwest. 

PHILANDER    PRESCOTT. 

During  the  year  I  boarded  with  the  United  States  Indian 
interpreter.  Philander  Prescott,  whose  residence  was  just 
outside  of  the  Fort  and  next  to  that  of  the  Indian  Agent. 
Mr.  Prescott  came  up  with  the  tr*^  ps  in  1810,  as  a  clerk  for 
the  sutlei".  He  sooti  became  a  trader  among  the  Indians,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  Columbia  Fur  Com{)any.  Like  many 
of  the  early  traders,  ho  purchased  a  Dakota  girl  for  his  wife. 
She  accompanied  him  in  visiting  h  is  luniierous  trading  outfits, 
where  he  exchanged  goods  for  furs.  Children  were  born  to 
him.  He  became  dissatisfied  with  his  northwestern  })osse8- 
si(ms.  Ho  had  never  marri(>d  the  Indian  woman  except  in 
the  Indian  fashion  :  that  is,  he  gave  a  pony  and  some  goods 
for  her  to  her  parents.  It  did  not  seem  difficidt  or  cruel  to 
abandon  her.  Other  traders  left  their  wives  and  children — 
why  shoidd  not  h«' V  She  was  abundantly  able  to  care  for 
herself,  his  and  lu'r  children,  for  their  wants  were  few  ; 
and  she  had  well-to-do  ri'latives  Indians  of  course,  but 
Indians  are  fond  of  their  kith  and  kin.  He  had  made  some 
money  ;  ho  would  sell  his  interests  and  make  more  ;  then 
he  would  leave  all  and  go  south  to  Texas  or  some  other  place, 
and  start  anew  without  incumbrances  wife,  child,  or  chick. 
He  made  his  way  down  the  Mississippi,  traversed  Texas  and 


»l 


44 


PEKHONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


Louisiana,  visited  the  Choctaw,  Creek,  and  Chickasaw 
Indians,  but  found  ])()or  prospects  for  starting  a  new  busi- 
ness in  the  lower  country.  He  spent  two  or  three  years  in 
hunting  and  traveling.  It  is  probable  that,  discouraged,  once 
in  a  while  he  indulged  in  fire-water  to  a  greater  extent  than 
was  for  his  good. 

A   SPIRITUAL  AWAKENING. 


■m. 


'% 


While  Mr.  Prescott  was  near  the  head- waters  of  the  Sabine 
river,  he  visited  a  religious  protracted-meeting,  which  was 
attended  pretty  much  by  Crackers.  He  became,  through  the 
influence  of  the  preacher,  a  changed  man.  Although  several 
thousand  miles  away  from  the  Dakota  wife  and  chilcren  that 
he  had  abandoned  -  who  were  wandering  with  the  mother's 
tribe  over  the  plains-  he  determined  to  return  to  them  at 
once,  and  do  what  he  should  have  done  at  first — marry  the 
woman  according  to  the  rules  of  Christianity.  After  a  long 
journey  he  landed  at  the  St.  Peter  agency,  when  he  found 
that  the  mother  of  his  children  was  away  beyond  the  coteaus 
in  the  buffalo  range  «)f  the  Missouri  valley.  With  his  pack 
on  his  back  he  started  in  search  of  her.  It  Avas  mid-summer 
when  he  found  her.  Poor  Indian  woman  that  she  was,  she 
was  overjoyed  to  see  him,  but  could  not  understand  why  he 
would  not  live  with  her  any  more  as  his  wife,  until  after  a 
long  journey  should  be  made  to  find  a  regularly  ordained 
minister  of  the  gosjjel,  iind  they  should  be  married  in  the 
same  numner  as  the  white  folks.  After  urging,  coaxing,  and 
praying,  he  persuaded  her  to  leave  her  people  and,  with  her 
children,  the  broad  prairi(>s  were  crossed,  the  home  of  a  mis- 
sionary was  found,  the  solemn  marriage  rites  were  performed, 
and  at  the  same  time  and  by  the  same  holy  ordinance  his 
children  were  made  legitimate. 

Mr.  Prescott  luis  ofteti  sixjken  to  me  of  the  great  privation 
and  suffering  that  attended  this  (to  him  )  sacred  pilgrimage. 
That  Indian  woman  Avas  an  excellent  housekeeper,  fond  of 
her  domestic  duties,  nn  affectionate  wife,  and  a  good  mother. 
It  could  not  well  be  otherwise  when  wo  consider  that  slie  had 
a  nol)le,  Christian  husband.  Her  hosi)itable  house  wns  always 
full  of  people.  It  was  tlie  only  roof  at  Fort  Snelling  that 
aflForded  a  stopping-place  for  travelers  and  strangers. 


■I 


CHAPTER  IX. 


1 


A   FRONTIEU  Wf^DDING. 


ri'l 


At  the  period  mentioned  in  the  hist  cliapter,  the  eldest 
daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Philander  Prescott  had  grown  to 
womanhood.  Her  father  had  sent  her  abroad  for  an  educa- 
tion. She  was  like  a  bird  about  the  old  stone  building, 
singing  and  making  everyone  hapi^y.  I  never  wondered  that 
her  father  so  fondly  loved  her. 

A  yoimg  man  of  excellent  character  from  Illinois  was 
eiaployed  around  the  missionary  gnninds  and  the  Indian 
farms.  He  was  a  Cliristian  man;  she  was  a  Christian  girl. 
His  heart  yearned  for  her  ;  his  life  needed  her  ;  she  alone 
could  be  its  strength,  its  beauty,  its  crown.  It  was  the  same 
old,  old  story,  Imt  ever  new  the  story  Adam  first  told  to 
Eve  in  the  world's  fresh  nioi'uing, among  Ihe  first  fair  flowers 
and  the  harmonies  of  Eden  -  the  stoiy  th;  !  man  has  told  to 
woman  ever  since ;  as  sweet,  as  solemn,  as  all-consecrating 
and  all-comjjrehending  now  as  when  it  was  first  whispered 
under  skies  which  no  storm-cloud  had  ever  darkened.  The 
result  was  that  one  evening,  just  at  the  close  of  the  old  year 
and  the  beginning  of  the  new,  there  was  a  large  gathering  at 
the  old  weather-1  )eat(Mi  homestead.  There  were  officers  of  high 
rank  in  the  army,  in  full  uniform,  with  their  wives;  officers 
holding  high  trusts  in  civil  ])ositions,  with  their  wives  and 
daughters ;  gentlemen,  with  their  ladit's,  in  full  evening 
costume  ;  and  men  and  women  whose  fathers  were  white  and 
mothers  were  red  ;  Dakota  relatives  and  friends  of  the 
bride  in  their  blankets  -^making  in  all  alxnit  as  curious  an 


S    V 


46 


J'KKHONATi    UIXOLLIICTIONS 


assembly,  nn  miiciiu'  a  feathering,  an  over  attended  a  wedding 
feast,  and  one  that,  as  llev.  Mr.  Neill  ( who  officiated  on  the 
occasion )  sii ys,  "  coidd  oidy  be  seen  on  the  outposts  of 
civilization." 

AT   THIC    MAUl'IAOE   FKAHT. 

A  varied  feast  followed  the  wedding  ceremony — cme  which 
pleased  the  white  peojile,  and  delighted  the  red  gnests.  The 
father  was  set'niingly  the  happiest  man  in  th(i  territory  that 
night — scarcely  excepting  the  groom.  What  a  shadow  of  the 
memory  of  the  past  was  thrown  over  the  father  of  the 
bride  that  eventfid  evening  !  None  of  lis  could  jjersuade 
the  mother  to  appejir  in  the  parlor  during  the  marriage  cere- 
mony, Imt  immediately  afterwards  she  waited  on  the  guests, 
and  was  doubtless  ay  j)leased  as  was  her  husband  that  her 
daughter  was  wi'dded  to  a  white  Christian.  Tlie  bride's 
Indian  tindes,  aunts,  and  cousins  were  j)resent,  wrapped  in 
their  blankets,  and  viewed  the  ceremony  with  seemingly  cold, 
weary,  and  stolid  countenances,  througli  the  parlor  doors. 

OTHEK    INCIDENTS   AND   CHAltACTIIItS    AT    THE    FOKT. 

During  Sej)tember  there  were  two  deaths  at  Fort  Snelling. 
One  of  them  was  that  of  an  old  discharged  soldier,  Charles 
Wilson,  formerly  of  the  First  infantry,  wlu)  had  been  in  the 
employment  of  Mr.  Steele  for  several  years.  Previous  to  the 
death  of  his  wife,  he  had  lived  in  St.  Anthony,  holding  a  claim 
for  its  owner.  It  is  said,  on  pretty  good  authority,  that  he 
was  the  first  actual  white  resident  of  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
Falls,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  as.sertion  is  true. 
He  was  a  faithful  man,  a  native  of  Maryland,  'nd  in  early 
life  enlisted  in  the  army,  served  many  years  in  it,  and  was 
discharged  at  Fort  Snelling,  when  he  took  charge  of  the 
teams  necessary  for  the  use  of  the  sutler's  store.  He  always 
forded  the  Mississippi  river,  with  his  teams,  at  the  Falls  just 
above  the  preci])ice.  AVlien  the  dam  was  built,  on  the  east 
side,  it  became  necessary  to  have  a  f(M"ry,  as  the  old  roadway 
from  the  east  side  of  the  island  to  the  main  shore  was  occu- 
pied by  the  dam.  He  never  became  reconciled  to  the  idea  of 
the  jmblic  highway,  as  he  called  it,  being  obstructed  in  the 
manner  that  it  was,  an<l  lamented  the  signs  of  civilization  and 


OF  MINNFSOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


47 


improvement.     WIIhou  whhh  man  of  ability,  but  some  strange 
misfortune  befell  him  in  his  early  days,  which  clouchMl  his 

wliole  life. 

A  sgrAW-MAN. 

Wilson's  only  son  l)ecume  a  sijuaw  man,  whose  services 
were  in  great  demand  as  a  violinist  during  the  winter.  He 
became  dissipated,  married  an  Indian  woman,  and  adopted 
all  the  Indian  habits— brtiech-clout,  blanket  and  all  !  The 
last  that  I  saw  of  him  was  in  the  vall«>y  of  the  Minnesota, 
moving  with  GockI  Itoad's  band,  to  which  tribe  his  wife 
belonged,  up  the  river.  He  had  one  of  his  little  papjjooses  on 
his  back,  trudging  along,  and  relitning,  for  the  time  being, 
the  mother  of  some  of  her  many  burdens.     Poor  "\Vilst)n  ! 

DLATH     OF     AX     UNKNOWN     MAN   -HIS    HECUET    INHEVEALED. 

About  the  time  of  Charles  Wilson's  death,  an  eastern  man 
was  taken  sick  at  Mr.  Prescott's.  Everything  possible  was 
done  for  him.  Dr.  McLaren,  the  8urgc(»n  at  the  Fort,  was  iu 
constant  attendance,  but  his  patient  only  lived  ft)r  a  few  days. 
Every  eifort  was  made  to  find  oiit  where  his  friends  lived,  but 
withoiit  success.  Far  from  home  and  relati  ves,  he  died  among 
strangers,  but  they  were  friendly  and  gave  him  a  Christian 
burial  out  at  the  citizens'  cemetery  on  Morgan's  Blutf.  His 
secret  as  to  his  identity  was  sealed  with  his  expiring  breath 
beyond  the  penetration  of  mortal  man. 

DEPENDENOK    IPON   THE   LOWER   COUNTIIY. 

The  steamers  during  the  fall  of  1849  were  taxed  to  their 
utmost  capacity  in  handling  the  large  amount  of  freight  nec- 
essary to  bo  brought  into  the  new  territory  for  the  use  of  the 
old  as  well  as  the  new  settlers.  It  should  b»^  remend)ered 
that  at  that  time  Minnesota  was  not  producing  agricidtural 
products.  With  the  exception  of  what  was  raistnl  by  the 
little  colony  of  farmers  who  resided  in  Washington  county, 
everything  consumed  by  the  people  had  to  be  brought  U])  the 
river  from  Illinois,  Iowa,  and  Missouri.  Even  the  grain  nec- 
essary to  be  fed  to  the  horses  was  secured  in  the  lower  country. 
Vast  quantities  of  provisions  were  imi)orted  into  the  territory. 


48 


TKUHONAL    liKt'OLLECTIONH 


Whole  cargot'H  of  Hour  and  pork  wore  HliimMul  from  Gnlenu, 
St.  Lotiin,  Quincy,  Hiiunilxil,  juul  ])\il)U(i\ie.  Sugar,  toa, 
cotfoe,  and  inolasKCH— tho  luxiirieB  of  life  wort'  brought  in 
less  (luaiititics.     Whisky  was  deenu'd  nlnioHt  a  ncccsHity. 

T]w  ti'rritory  waw  almoHt  conipk'tcly  drainod  of  money  to 
pay  tlie  freight  bills  due  to  the  HtejiiuboatH.  It  was  a  real 
relief  to  the  merchants  when  the  smoke  of  the  last  steamer  of 
the  season  disappeared  down  stream,  as  their  purses  cimld 
only  bo  replenished  after  navigation  elosi'd. 

During  the  month  of  June  several  of  the  missionaries 
among  the  Dakotas  gathered  at  the  St.  Peter  agency  at  Fort 
Snelling.  It  was  at  this  meeting  that  I  first  became  accpiainted 
with  ])r.  Steplien  R.  Iiiggs  and  Rev.  Moses  N.  Adams.  I  had 
mot  Rev.  Gideon  H.  Pond  a  few  days  jn-evious  to  the  general 
attendance  at  the  agency.  His  brother.  Rev.  Samuel  W.  I'oiul, 
preached  the  annual  sermon  in  Mr.  Prescott's  houso  cm  Sun- 
day. Major  Murphy,  the  Indian  agent,  pronounced  it  the 
best  religioiis  discourse  he  ever  heard  — n(}t  the  most  learned, 
but  for  the  occasion  tho  most  aiiproi)riate. 

June  also  brought  most  of  the  Indian  traders  to  Fort  Snel- 
ling ajid  Mendota.  Among  them  were  H(tn.  Martin  McLeod, 
Hon.  N.  W.  Kittson,  and  Hon.  Josei^h  R.  Br«>wn — though  the 
last  named  was  at  that  time  more  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade. 

There  were  many  old  settlers  and  pioneers  in  the  vicinity 
of  Fort  Snelling  and  Mendota.  Some  of  them  were  men  of 
great  merit  :  such  as  Htm.  Samuel  J.  Findley,  Peter  Quinn, 
John  B.  Faribault  who  was  a  Canadian  of  French  descent, 
Hazen  Mooics  who  was  an  Indian  farmer  for  lilack  Dog's 
village,  Francis  CJammel  who  was  th(»  ferry num  at  St.  Peter 
nver,  Victor  Chat  el  the  blacksmith  for  the  Lake  Calhoun 
and  Lake  Hari-iet  band  of  Indians,  and  Hypolite  Dupuy  who 
was  Govoi'uor  Sibley's  bookkeei)er.  Many  of  these  ■were  in 
the  employ  of  the  Fur  com])any  and  tho  Indian  department. 
A  venerable  man  by  the  name  of  Edwards,  and  his  wife  who 
was  a  mixed  blood  of  ]  ndian,  negro,  and  white,  were  employed 
at  the  ng''ncy,  the  latter  being  Major  Mur])hy's  housekeeper. 
Among  tho  men  at  Mendota  at  that  time,  of  great  influence, 
was  Rev.  A.  Ravoux^pasttir  of  the  tJatholic  church  at  that  jdace. 
Father Ravoux  camett)  this  country  at  an  early  day  and  labored 
on  the  Minnesota  river  at  Chaska  for  the  good  of  the  Indians. 


■  ^ 


CHAPTER  X. 


GVMK    IN"    THK    KAULV    DWH. 


Gnnie  was  plenty  in  tli<)s<'  ejvrly  tinu'.s  in  Minnesota.  Indians 
■wore  plenty  too  ;  hut  some  way  the  more  Indians  the  more 
j;(inie.  At  the  jiroper  season  of  the  y»'ar  elk- buffalo-  and 
bear-steaks,  coidd  be  obtained  at  very  reasonable  rates,  while 
there  seemed  no  end  of  wild  ^eese  and  ducks  in  the  fall 
iind  spring.  Praiiie-chiekens  were  abundant,  but  there  were 
few  quails.  Mr.  Steele  tried  the  experiment  of  introducing 
<]u»iils  into  the  country.  He  had  a  large  number  of  them 
brought  up  the  river  in  the  fall.  They  W(>re  taken  out  to 
Morgan's  blutf,  some  two  miles  fx'om  the  Fort,  and  given  their 
liberty.  At  the  same  time  he  deposited  wheat,  oats,  and  corn, 
in  the  immediate  vicinity,  so  that  they  would  not  sutfer  for 
the  want  of  food.  The  birds  seemed  to  go  through  thi'  first 
winter  in  good  condition,  but  in  the  spring  of  the  second 
year  there  were  none  left  ;  they  all  perished  during  the 
extreme  cold  wintei-  months.  As  there  was  no  grain  raised 
in  the  country  it  was  thought  by  many  that  they  starved 
to'death  ;  but  it  was  »'\  idently  too  cold  for  them.  Probahly 
if  there  had  been  grain-stacks  or  fields  of  cornstalks  in  the 
neighborhood,  for  them  to  winter  in — which  would  have 
afforded  not  only  protection,  })ut  food -the  result  might  have 
been  different.  Yet  since  the  country  has  become  so  thn-kly 
settled,  and  every  protection  has  been  afforded  them,  (piails 
have  never  become  plenty.  The  Indians  claimed  they  never 
would  V)ecomo  numerous,  because  of  the  extreme  cold. 

Partridges  were  found  in  great  abundance  in  the  wooded 
and  brush  lauds.     The  wild  pigeons  were  the  most  numerous 


50 


PEllHON  A  I,    H  EC0M-F,CTI0N8 


of  nil  birds.  The  sky  would  for  dnys,  nt  cortnin  lionrH,  be 
almost  ol)»-'"nnHl  by  tlu'in.  For  several  years  they  were  taken 
in  ^rcat  numbers  in  lU'ts.  Strange  to  say,  tliey  have  almost 
disa])]>eared  from  their  old  visiting-places.  'I'hey  do  not  now 
even  tly  over  the  titatv.  It  is  singular  what  has  beeome  of 
them. 

Fish  then,  as  now,  were  caught  in  great  numbers.  The 
New  England  si)eckle(l  trout  sported  in  many  of  the  olenr 
streams  in  southern  Minnesota. 

Most  of  the  large  game  disap|)eared  with  the  departure  of 
the  Indians.  It  was  by  no  means  a  difflcult  task,  in  the  early 
fifties,  to  obtain  all  the  meat  necessary  for  one's  household, 
from  tlui  fruits  of  the  chase.  Wild  bees,  too,  were  abundant 
in  the  poi'tion  of  the  country  known  as  the  "  big  woods"  ;  but 
with  the  disa})pearance  of  the  shadow  of  the  tall  oak,  the 
wild,  busy  bee  is  a  thing  of  the  past. 

Most  of  the  valuable  f\ir-bearing  animals-  the  great  staple 
of  pi'e-territorial  times  are  gone  too.  A  family  of  otter  had 
a  real  nice  home  in  what  is  now  known  as  Bassett's  creek, 
where  Fourth  street  crosses  it  in  this  city,  when  I  lived  alone 
on  the  bank  of  the  river  where  the  Union  dej)ot  is  built.  In 
fact  they  were  resident  there  some  years  afterwards.  The 
cowardly  wolves,  but  in  greatly  reduced  numbers,  still 
remain.  They  appear  to  be  too  mean  to  follow  the  Indian. 
The  bear  is  still  found,  but  not  one  where  there  were  ten 
forty  years  ago. 

There  are  many  more  birds  here  now  than  there  were  in 
those  days.  The  meadow-lark,  the  bobolink,  the  blue-bird, 
the  robin,  and  several  other  feathered  songsters,  followed  the 
whites  to  their  new  home  ;  while  the  eagle  went  with  the 
red-men  ;  yet  the  owls  and  hawks,  in  limited  numbers,  are 
liere  yet.  The  black-bird  is  an  emigrant,  following  the  pio- 
neer, sharing  and  devouring  the  seed  that  ia  sown  and  the 
grain  that  is  raised.  It  is  pretty  well  demonstrated  that  all 
the  desirable  birds — in  this  part  of  the  northwest,  at  least — 
if  we  except  those  of  migratory  habits—  are  fond  of  f recjuent- 
ing  the  haimts  of  civilized  man.  While  many  varieties  are 
found  in  unsettled  portions  of  the  continent,  our  favorites, 
such  as  robins  and  blue-birds,  are  partial  to  the  homes  and 
surroundings  of  white  men. 


Thk  Eauly  Mthsionaiuks  to  the  Inbians  tn  Minnksota. 


'^s^mmmmmmmmmmmmmmi 


'm 


•i 


CHAPTER  XL 


MISSIONARY   GIDEON   IIOLLISTKII   POND. 


1 
4 


.;!i 
•* 


Frofpiently  on  Suiulnys,  in  184!),  after  the  morning  service 
in  tiio  little  cliapel  at  Fort  Snelling,  Colonel  Looniis  would 
suf^i^est  that  we  go,  so  soon  as  w«»  had  lunched,  to 
the  Oak  drove  mission,  and  listen  to  the  iisnally  excellent 
afternoon  sermon  by  Kev.  G.  H.  Pttiid.  The  colder  the 
weather  the  more  anxious  the  colonel  would  be  to  make  the 
trip.  Ihe  distance  was  at  least  ten  miles  on  the  ice.  He 
would  not  have  a  driver,  nor  use  on  siu-h  occasions  a  team 
belonging  to  th(>  government,  but  had  his  own  sleigh  and 
drove  his  own  horses.  In  the  forenoon  Mr.  Pond  usually 
preached  to  the  Indians  in  their  own  language,  and  in  the 
afternoon  to  the  whites  who,  besides  his  own  family,  were 
mostly  employed  in  the  interest  of  the  Indians.  These  meet- 
ings were  held  in  Mr.  Pond's  parlors.  It  mattered  not  if 
th(>re  were  half-a-do/,(>n  j)re.4ent  or  a  full  house  he  ])reached 
in  the  samt^  earnest  Jiianner  for  the  weli'an>  of  his  fellow-men. 

Rev.  (i.  H.  Pond  was  born  in  Connecticut,  in  ISIO.  He 
came  to  the  land  of  the  Dakotas,  with  his  elder  brother  Sam- 
uel W.  P(md,  in  1HH4,  and  locat(Hl  at  Lake  Calhoun,  where 
they  Imilt  a  log  <'al>in  on  the  n)argin  of  tlu*  lake  and  com- 
menced farming  among  the  Indians.  The  Indian  agent, 
Major  Taliaferro,  resident  at  Port  Snelling,  had  already  made 
some  effort  toward  civili/ing  the  red  men.  Forty-three  years 
aft»'rwards,  on  the  occasion  of  the  comjdetion  of  n  hotel  at  the 
lake,  on  the  same  site  of  the  log  cabin,  Mr.  Pond  told  the 
story  of  his  settlement,  |)resen1ing  a  graphic  ])icture  of  the 
pioneiT  days  in  that  locality.     He  suyB  :  "  The  old  structure 


i 


PERSONAL    REC0LLETCI0N8 


"  was  of  ouk  logs,  cnrefuUy  peeled.  The  peeling  was  a  mistake. 
"  Twelve  feet  by  sixteen,  and  eight  feet  high,  were  the  dimen- 
"  sions  of  the  edifice.  Straight  i)oles  from  the  tamarack  grove 
"west  of  the  lake  fonried  the  timbers  of  the  roof,  and  the 
"  roof  its(!lf  was  of  tlie  bark  of  trees  whicli  grew  on  the  bank 
"  of  what  is  now  called  '  Bassett's  creek',  fastened  with  strings 
"of  the  inner  bark  (>f  the  bass-wood.  A  partition  of  small 
,  "  logs  divided  the  lumse  into  two  rooms,  and  split  logs  fur- 
"nished  material  for  the  floor.  The  ceiling  was  of  slabs  fnmi 
"the  old  government  sawmill,  through  tie  kindness  of  Major 
"  Bliss,  who  WHS  in  command  of  Fort  Snelling.  The  d{K)r 
"was  made  of  boards  split  from  a  log  with  an  axe,  having 
"wooden  hinges  and  fastenings,  and  was  locked  by  jmlling  in 
"the  latch-string.  The  single  window  wjis  the  gift  of  the 
"  kind-hearted  Major  Lawrence  Taliaferro,  United  States 
"  Indian  agent.  The  cash  cost  of  the  building  was  one  shil- 
"ling.  New  York  currency,  for  naiib  used  in  and  about  the 
"door.  The  'formal  o])('ning'  exercises  consisted  in  reading 
"a  section  from  the  old  book  by  the  name  of  Bible,  and  prayer 
"to  Him  who  was  its  acknowledged  author.  The 'banquet' 
"consisted  of  mussels  from  the  lake,  fltmr  and  water.  Tlie 
"ground  was  selected  by  tlu*  Indian  chief  of  the  Lake  Calhoun 
"band  of  Dakotas,  Man-of-the-sky,  by  which  he  showed  good 
"taste.  The  reason  he  gave  for  the  selection  was  that  'from 
"that  point  the  loons  would  be  visil)le  on  the  lake'.  The  old 
"chief  and  his  pagan  people  had  their  homes  on  the  surface 
"of  that  ground  in  th(»  ])osom  of  which  now  sleep  the  bodies 
"ofdeceas«>d  (Christians  from  the  city  of  Minneapolis,  the 
"  Lakewood  cemetery,  over  which  these  old  ej'es  have  witnessed, 
"dangling  in  the  night  l)reeze,  many  a  Chippeway  scalp,  in 
"the  midst  of  horrid  cliants,  yells,  and  wails,  widely  contrast- 
"ing  with  th(*  present  stillness  of  that  quiet  home  of  those 
"  'who  sleep  the  years  away'.  That  hut  was  the  home  of  the 
"first  citiz(>n  settlers  of  Hennepin  county,  jjerhaps  of  Minne- 
"sota,  the  first  school-room,  the  first  Ik mse  for  divine  worship, 
"and  the  first  mission  station  ann)ng  tlie  Dakota  Jndians." 

Mr.  Pond  was  an  ardent  student  of  Indian  character,  and 
probably  came  the  nearest  of  any  of  the  missionaries  to  tiilk- 
ing  like  a  Dakota,  and  knowing  how  an  Indian  felt.  His 
desire  to  experience  the  life  of  an  Indian  led  hiui,  in  1838,  to 


Ji 


I 


^ 
.'S" 


i 


OF    MINNK80TA   AND    ITH    I'EOPLE. 


68 


aistake. 
(linien- 
\i  grove 
and  the 
le  bank 

of  small 

logs  fur- 

labs  from 

of  Major 

The  door 

e,  having 

[)nlUng  in 

ift  of  the 

ed   States 

\  one  shil- 

about  the 

in  reading 

Fvnd  prayer 
'banqnt^t' 

ater.     The 

ke  Calhoun 

lowed  good 

that  'from 

The  old 

the  surface 
the  bodies 
•a  polls,  the 
■  witnessed, 

lay  sealp,  i" 
ly  contrast- 
,me  of  those 
i\ome  of  the 
.8  of  Minne- 
ine  worship, 
Indians." 
araeter,  and 
Ties  to  tAlk- 
U  felt.     His 
li,  in  1838,  t» 


's? 


join  a  half  dozen  Indian  families  from  Ijae-(pii-parle  fm-  a 
hunt  on  the  upi)er  Chippewa  river.  The  occasion  of  their 
departure  was  when  the  ducks  began  to  fly  northward.  On 
the  way  they  experienced  a  coM  ruin  and  a  floo<l.  The  win- 
dows of  heaven  were  opened  for  the  rain  to  (h'scend  as, 
seemingly,  they  hadnev«'r  been  o[)ened  before  since  the  deluge. 
The  (hicks  disajjpeared  and  there  was  a  famine  in  camp. 
The  half  dozen  tepees  dividctL  One  division  was  visited  by 
tlie  Ojibway  chief,  Hole-in-the-Day  with  ten  of  his  treacher- 
ous braves.  They  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace,  and  the  visitors 
were  royally  entertained  and  feasted  on  two  of  the  dogs 
l)elonging  to  their  hosts,  though  the  entertainers  themselves 
were  starving.  The  Chippeways  arose  in  the  night  and  cow- 
ardly and  treadierously  killed  their  Dakota  hosts  (tlin^e  men 
and  ten  women  and  children).  Oidy  one  woman  and  one  boy 
escafjed.  Mr.  Pond  did  not  happen  to  be  with  the  eutertiiin- 
ing  party.  He  heljxul  bury  the  «?leven  mangled  })odie8, 
breakfasted  on  rauskrat,  and  started  alone,  on  foot,  in  haste, 
for  the  mission  at  Lac-(pii-j)arle.  At  night  he  slept  without 
fire  or  sui)per.  Enriched  by  two  weeks'  experience  in  Indian 
savage  life,  he  was  rejoiced  to  be  at  lu)mo  with  his  scalp  and 
his  family.  In  other  words  -  those  of  one  of  his  brother 
missionaries  -  "  Mr.  Pond,  as  God  would  have  it,  was  not  then 
with  those  three  tents,  and  so  he  escaped." 

Mr.  Pond  was  over  six  feet  in  hight,  was  twice  married, 
and  was  the  father  of  thirteen  tliildren.  He  was  for  twenty 
years  jiastor  of  the  church  at  lil(»omington,  in  Hennepin 
county.  He  died  in  ISTH,  and  was  buried  in  his  own  parish, 
where  he  had  so  long,  faithfully  and  acceptably  labored. 

MISSIONAHV    SA.MrF,L    W.    I'ONl). 

.\mong  the  missioiuu'ies  who  visited  the  St.  Peter  agency 
at  Fort  Snelling  in  1H4'.>,  there  was  no  one  who  attrat-ted  more 
atlention,  and  was  ninre  respected,  than  the  pioneer  in 
the  f^'ood  work,  llev.  San)U<'l  W.  l*ond.  He  is  a  native  of 
Couuccticnt.  He  was  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  his 
brother  (lideon  twenty-one,  when  they  joined  the  Congrega- 
tional church  of  their  native  town,  and  became  impressed  with 
the  idea  tlxat  their  lives  should  be  devoted  to  the  good  of 


f    \\ 


I 
f 


H 


PEltSON  A  I,    UF.COLLECTIONS 


tlu'ir  fellow-nicii.  How  iioUly  the  v('n»'riil)lo  SanuielW.  Poud, 
wlioHO  n^ii  is  away  alonj^  among  ihv  oiglities,  has  carried  out 
those  early  iiitentiouH  !  Every  effort  of  liis  long  life  has  been 
in  the  interest  of  mankind.  It  made  no  differenee  whether 
those  who  re(iiiired  his  aid  were  white,  black,  or  i-ed  nu'n  ;  all 
had  soiils  and  the  same  Creator.  Ht^  determined  to  go  forth 
and  labor  where  his  si-rviees  would  most  benefit  the  world. 
He  tliought  his  labors  would  be  crowned  with  greater  success 
oiitside  of  New  England  where  there  were  fewer  laborers  in 
tlu^  field.     Tlu>  far  west  was  selected  as  a  field  for  work. 

Mr.  Pond  left  home  in  the  spring  of  1S82,  aiitl  aft(>r  a  tedi- 
ous journey  arrived  at  Galena,  Illinois,  suffering  from  sick- 
ness. He  made  a  tcnir  through  Illinois,  on  honseback,  with 
Rev.  Arafus  Kent,  then  2)astoi'  of  the  Presbyterian  chuivh  iu 
(ralena.  During  this  journey  he  saw  many  AVinnebagoes, 
which  first  lurned  his  attention  to  tlie  Indians.  While  he 
was  engaged  in  missionary  work  in  Galena,  lie  nuuh'  the 
ac(iuainfance  (»f  a  man  who  had  resided  in  the  extreme  north- 
west, and  wlio  gave  him  an  iiccount  of  the  Dakotas.  He 
determinetl  to  hd)or  for  the  good  of  tliis  jjeople,  and  accord- 
ingly communicated  with  his  brother,  who  acce|>ted  his 
invitation  to  join  him,  in  the  spring  of  iSoI,  wlieii  they 
wouhl  visit  the  Minnesota  Intlians. 

While  at  Galena  ^fr.  Pond  was  fortunate  in  his  intiniaey 
with  Mr.  Kent,  who  was  nl.so  a  native  of  C'onn«'cticut.  Mr. 
Kent  arrive<l  at  Cralemi  in  1821),  and  from  tlntt  time  to  his 
death  in  1H(!'.)  was  an  »'aruest  and  faithful  minister  of  the 
gospel.  His  laliors  in  an  early  day  extended  to  Minnesota, 
nixd  he  had  many  friemls  among  the  pioneers  of  this  state. 
Mr.  Gideon  H.  Pond  joined  his  br<»tiier  at  Galena,  and 
the  two  left  tliat  })lace,  on  a  stcatnboat.  for  the  land  of  the 
Dakot^is,  landing  at  F(trt  Snelling  on  tlie  tith  of  May, 
1834,  At  Prairie  du  Chieji  tlu>y  <'ailed  tm  Rev.  David  liovvry, 
the  anoient  nnd  devoted  missionary  nn»ong  the  Winnebngoes, 
and  atone  time  a  resident  of  Minnesota.  Mr.  Low ry,  like 
Mr.  Kent  and  almost  every  one  else,  thougiit  the  niissitui  of 
the  Messrs.  Pond  would  be  a  fiiihire.  Even  the  zealous  and 
hopeful  junior  brother  was  led  to  exclaim,  "We  are  engaging 
in  a  serious  enteri)rise."  ' 


f 


01'    MINNESOTA   AND    ITS    I'KOJ'I.K. 


66 


A'.  Poud, 

[•vied  out 

lltlH  bt't'U 

I  wliether 
men  ;  all 
,  JVC)  forth 
u)  world. 
>r  Burcess 
il Mirers  in 
iH)rlv. 

ter  rt  tedi- 
Tom  sic'k- 
biu-k,  with 
church  in 
nu'lKif^oes, 
Wlnle  he 
nijulc   the 
cim-  iH»rih- 
kivtiis.     He 
ind  accord- 
(•t'|)tcd    his 
\vlu'i\  tl\ey 

is  intimacy 
ticut.     Mr. 
time  to  his 
w  oC   the 
Miinu'sota, 
■  this  state, 
iileiia,  and 
ind   of  the 
th  of  May, 
uvid  liovvry, 
iuneb)3{^c^s, 
Ijowry,  like 
missinu  of 
zealous  and 
,re  engaging 


I 


i 


i 


Mr.  S.  H.  Pdutl,  Ljivt's  nil  accDuntof  hiscommencemeut  to 
learn  tlic  Dakotfi  liiii^tiagc  FrDiu  a  wliite  iniiii  who  knew  a 
litlle  of  tlie  laiiguaice  he  f«nnid  out  how  to  ask  in  Dakota, 
"  Wlwit  do  you  call  this  ?"  He  wrote  this  down,  and  then 
approachinic  a  Dakota  wlio  w;!;;  standinjj;  l»y  a  pile  of  iron,  he 
aski'd  its  naiiif.  He  promptly  replied.  "  1  have  always  had 
a  rclisli  for  Mudyiu.LC  lan^'uaj^'cs,"  says  Mr.  Tond,  and  "in 
"tiiiu's  of  liisuif  it  has  U'vn  my  recreation,  and  I  have  often 
"rejoiced  at  the  discovery  of  some  important  grammatical 
"  rule,  or  the  signiticatioii  of  some  oliscure  woi'd  or  sentence, 
"  hut  no  nthei'  accpii.sition  of  that  kind  ever  alfonU'd  m(>  so 
"much  |)leasure  as  it  did  t lien  to  he  able  to  say  in  Dakota, 
"'What  do  you  call  this?'  I  ha<l  a  key  now  to  ^he  Diikota 
"names  of  visil)le  t)bjects,  and  it  di<l  not  rust  in  my  hands  for 
"  want  of  use.  I  began  the  study  of  tln>  language  thereon 
"the  bank  (»f  th(i  Mississii)pi,  without  an  interpreter,  and 
"my  brotiier  and  I  made  the  lir.st  collection  of  words  for  the 
"  future  dietioiiary." 

At  Prairie  tlu  Chien,  Rev.  Mr.  Lowry  did  not  hesitate  to 
say  to  the  brothers  that  they  "were  engaged  in  a  very  foolish 
and  hopeless  uiaU'rtaking".  They  said  little  to  him  in  reply, 
not  being  in  the  habit  of  arguing  the  case  with  tho.so  who 
were  trying  to  discourage  them.  From  llev.  W.  T.  J^)utwell, 
'aIio  was  stationed  among  tli(>  Pillagers  (  |)roperly  so  named 
!(y  the  traders )  at  Leech  f>ake,'they  reci'ived  the  first  words 
'sf  encouragement.  Mr.  IJoutwf-ll  made  a  heroic  effort  to  holil 
that  dangerous  out  post,  but  was  tinally  compelled  to  abaiuhm  it. 

.\t  Fort  Snelling  .Mr.  Vnnd  was  informed  that  the  Kaposia 
band,  just  Indow  St.  Paul,  wanted  plowing  done,  and  had  a 
plttw  and  o\eii,  but  could  not  iise  them,  so  he  \-oluiiteeretl  to 
go  down  and  help  thi-m.  The  Indians  took  down  the  plow  in 
a  c.inoe  and  he  drove  down  the  oxen.  Mr.  Pond  says:  "At 
"  Kapttsia.  the  <-hief  was  JJig  Thunder,  tin*  father  of  Taoyate- 
"duta  (called  by  the  whites,  but  <'rrone(msly,  Little  Crow), 
"and  the  chief  soldier  was  Pig  Iron.  These  two  helrl  the 
"  [tlow  alternately  while  I  drove  the  o.xen.  I  supj)ose  they 
"  were  the  first  Dakotas  who  ever  held  a  plow.  The  dogs  or 
"Lidians  stole  my  j)rovisions  the  first  night  I  was  tliere,  and 
"  I  did  not  fare  sumptuously  every  day,  for  f«KHl  was  scarce 
"and  not  very  palateable." 


56 


PERHOXAL    RECOLLEt'JIOXS 


Returning  to  Fort  Snolliiif^,  and  eiicourn^ed  by  Major 
Bliss,  tlit'ii  in  connuand,  and  Inditin  agent  Talliaferro,  tlu- 
brothers  locatiMl  at  Lake  Calhoun,  wliere  they  j)lo\ved  for  the 
Indians  and  erected  a  log  house.  nieanwhiU' occupying  a  tem- 
porary slu'lter  in  the  woods,  where  they  wi-ro  surrounded 
by  a  cloud  of  mosquitoes.  Mr.  S.  W.  Pond  says  :  "  From  the 
"time  of  our  arrival  we  considered  th(>  acquisition  of  tlic 
"Dakota  language  of  paramount  inq)ortance.  W(^  were  ever 
"on  the  alert  to  catch  some  new  word  or  phrase  from  the 
"mouths  of  the  Indians.  We  contrived  the  alphabet  the 
"first  summer  we  were  here,  and  our  house  was  comi)leted 
"  and  the  langmige  reduced  to  writing  about  the  same  time  ; 
"  but  the  house  was  to  stand  but  five  years,  while  the  alj)ha- 
"bet  will  be  used  so  hnig  as  the  Dakota  language  is  written. 
"We  had  not  been  in  our  new  home  long  before  a  y<tung  man 
"inquired  whether  Dakotas  could  learn  to  read,  and  expressed 
"  a  desire  to  learn.  We  taught  him  the  letters,  and  how  to 
"use  them  in  the  formation  of  words,  and  he  learned  in  a  few 
"  weeks  to  write  letters  that  we  coiild  understand,  and  was, 
"doubtless,  the  first   Dakota  who  learned  to  read  and  M-rite." 

The  brothers  leanied  the  grammatical  structure  of  tlio  lan- 
guage as  children  learn  their  mother  tongue.  Interpreters 
could  not  help  them.  One  of  the  latter  when  asked  alxmtthe 
verb  rejjlied,  "If  y<m  can  find  a  verb  in  Dakota  y(m  are  a 
smart  man !"  Another  when  (jiu^stioned  as  t<)  how  the 
Dakotas  formed  the  future  tense  said,  "  The  Dakotas  have  no 
future  tense  !"  The  future  tense,  and  many  ndes  of  gram- 
mar, were  leanunl  without  their  help.  "It  is  one  thing  to 
learn  a  word  or  rule  in  print  or  in  writing,  and  cpiite  another 
thing  to  catch  it  fnmi  the  mouth  of  an  Indian." 

Mr.  Pond  hunted  with  the  Indians  a  month,  Imt  the  lan- 
guage was  the  game  he  was  hunting  for,  and  he  "was  as  eager 
in  the  pursuit  of  that  as  the  Indians  were  of  deer".  Not 
one  of  the  fifty  men  who  acccmipanied  him   is  alive  to-day. 

Mr.  Pond  says  that  Ix'fore  the  treaty  with  the  Indians  they 
would  assist  in  plowing,  but  afterwards  not  one  of  them 
would  touch  a  ])low.  Their  seeming  prosperity  was  ruinous. 
W^hen  the  brothers  came  here  they  found  the  Indians,  as  a 
general  r\ile,  "an  industrious,  energetic  people."     Under  the 


OP  MINNESOTA  AND   ITS   I'KOI'LE. 


57 


treaty  tlm  older  Indians  gradually  lost  tl)(>ir  former  habits  of 
industry,  and  a  new  generation  grew  up  of  insolent,  reekless 
fellows,  who  spent  their  lives  in  idleness  and  dissipation. 
As  they  "  never  regretted  eoniing  among  the  J)akotas"  when 
they  did,  so  they  "never  r(>grotted  leaving  them"  when  they 
did.  For  nearly  twenty  years  they  devoted  their  lives  io  the 
Dakotas,  "and  it  was  not  without  the  greatest  reluetanee  and 
a  fe(>ling  of  hitter  disappointment"  that  they  "came  to  the 
conelusion"'  that  they  "must  leav((  them". 

For  over  half  a  century  nearly  three-score  years— one  of 
those  earliest  missionari(>s  has  lived  in  Minnesota,  and  is  yet 
here,  erect  in  stature,  standing  over  six  feet,  and  his  mental 
faculties  are  vigorims.  He  resides  in  almost  the  j)rimitive 
simplicity  of  the  early  days,  from  choice,  in  his  «)wn  house,  on 
the  banks  of  the  ^Jinnesota  river.  His  voice  is  ch'ar, 
his  ey-es  are  bright,  and  his  limbs  are  vigorous.  The 
liunber  of  his  house  he  bnmght  with  oxen,  on  the  ice  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  from  Point  Dcmglas  to  Fort  Snelling,  at 
which  last-named  phice  it  was  framed,  and  thence  transported 
by  barge  on  the  ^finnesota  river  to  its  jjresent  location.  The 
footstepsof  time  have  brought  tv)  this  generation  few  more  in- 
teresting personages  tliau  Samuel  \V.  Pond,  who  is  one  of  the 
first  missionaries  to  the  Dakotas,  who  made  the  first  collec- 
tion of  words  for  the  Dakota  dictionary,  wlio  first  taught  a 
Dakota  to  read  and  write,  wrote  the  first  school-lessons  in  their 
language  for  the  Dakota  children,  and  translated  ])ortions  of 
the  Bible  intx)  Dakota.  He  first  taught  the  Dakotas  to  plow. 
The  alpli'du't  lu»  arranged  for  them,  and  his  translations  for 
their  use,  no  college  graduate  is  a,l)le  to  improve,  for  there 
is  reliable  testimony  that  the  Indians  understand  them  better 
than  any  others. 


MISSIONAHY   STKPHKN    li.    UWOH. 

Dr.  Riggs  was  not  a  fre(pient  visitor  at  the  St.  Peter  agency 
during  I>S4',),  but  his  presence  was  always  desin'd.  At  that 
period,  and  for  many  years  before  and  after,  his  labor  with 
the  Indians  was  at  Lac-ijui-parle,  the  home  of  the  classic 
Martin  McLeod.  Dr.  Riggs  was  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  came 
to  Minnesota  in  1HH7,  and  from  that  date  to  the  breaking  out 


58 


I'KIISONAL    IlKCOLLECTIONS 


of  tlu'  Indiiii)  wiir,  Anj^ust  18()2,  he  wiis  one  of  the  most 
active,  /.ealmis,  imd  prominent  missionaries  in  the  country. 
He  was  not  only  active  in  ilio  lield  l»iit,  with  tlie  aid  of  S.  W. 
nnd  (i.  ]f.  I'ondandDi".  Williamson,  rendered  to  tln' Dakotas 
services  which  were  indisi)ensal)le  in  «'dilin^,  <'ompilin^,  com- 
posing, and  })ul)lishinf^  books  in  their  hin^ua<^(t  which  were 
the  foundation  of  success  in  the  projiaj^ation  t»f  the  gospel 
among  them,  and  the  key  to  tlieir  civilization  and  Christiuni- 
zation.  He  was  respected  i)y  tlie  Indians,  and  thei-e  is  no 
doubt  but  that  he  accomjjlislied  a  good  work  in  their  In'half  ; 
though  for  that  matter  all  the  missioiuiries  did  but  the  maHS 
of  the  Dakotas  wtmld  never  acknowledge  it. 

])r.  Itiggs'  mission  was  made  less  dillicidt  in  the  beginning 
in  conse([ueiu'e  of  the  primitive  missionaries-  the  two  Ponds 
and  Dr.  Williamson  -  hn\ing  prepared  the  way  for  him  and 
those  who  followed  in  tlie  missionary  lield.  He  wieUled  an 
able,  useful,  instructive,  classic  pen.  His  taste  was  literary. 
He  was  a  prolific  pidilisher.  His  wife  was  an  able  woman — 
j)erha])s  not  more  so  than  the  wives  of  the  ollu-r  nussionaries — 
but  lier  advantages  for  an  education  in  early  lile,  in  her  New 
England  home,  had  been  of  a  superior  character.  A  large 
family  of  interesting  cliildren  gathered  around  tlu'  hearth- 
stone of  the  mission  house,  sonu^  of  whom,  sinc(>  reaching 
maturity,  have  folli>wed  the  holy  calling  of  their  parents,  ami 
nrv  now  missionaiies  in  diiferent  j)arts  of  the  world. 

NN  hen  we  consider  the  ])rivations,  hardships,  dilKculties, 
and  suil'eriiigs  encountered  and  surmounted,  l>y  tlu'se  primi- 
tive men  and  their  families,  in  their  earnest  labors  for  the 
thankless  Sioux,  wt*  are  led  to  conclude  that  had  those  things 
occurre<l  in  Africa,  or  Asia,  their  deeds  would  have  been 
scmnded  throughout  the  republic.  Jbit  as  their  Avork  was  on 
American  soil  it  esi-aped  the  ultenti(»n  of  the  people  and  was 
considered  a  local  nuitler  of  little  moment.  It  is  curious  to 
peruse  the  record  of  llu'  great  privations  and  sufferings  of 
those  early  nussionaries  from  cold,  and  hunger,  and  well- 
grounded  fear  of  the  Indians  intersjiersed  with  rejoic- 
ings "at  tlm  manifestations  of  the  Lord's  loving  kindness 
and  tender  mercies  undiminished"  towards  them !  Dur- 
ing the  whole   of   Dr.  Iliggs'  life,  after  reaching  the  mission 


Ol"   MINNKHOTA   AND    IIS    I'KOl'LK. 


59 


fields  t>f  MiniU'sotn,  liis   irroni  intt'i-cst    ii)    liis    work    lu'vcr 

t'east'tl. 

1!IV.  A.   itAVorx. 

Another  welcome  visitor  to  the  (iLCeneydnriiij;  IS  I!)  was  the 
Rev.  Auu^ustin  Kjivoiix,  so  loni;  tlie  vic!ir-i;iiiei-Ml  of  St.  Taul. 
Mr.  Ravoiix  readied  the  tipper  eouiitiyiii  ISU.  lie  is  a 
native  of  France,  eaine  to  this  comitrv  in  ISIJS,  and  was  for 
some  time  on^^ai^ed  ill  nnssionary  work  at  I'lairie  dn  Chien. 
Aft<'r  his  arrival  in  this  territory  he  visited  Traverse  des 
Sioux,  and  coniiiieiiccd  tiie  study  of  the  liidinn  laii^na^'e,  in 
whicli  he  Hoon  became  proticieiit.  Meantime  lie  i)reached  to 
the  savages  by  interiM-eters.  His  labor  was  not  coniiiiedto 
Traverse,  but  he  visited  1m  Framboise's  tradiii}^  ])ost  at 
Little  I{ock,  and  eventually  ])roceeded  \ip  the  St.  Peti-r  river 
as  far  as  Lac-(pii-parle,  the  seat  of  the  I'rotesf ant  mission 
under  Dr.  Williamson  and  Dr.  l{i,n',fs.  From  Traverse;  he 
returned  to  Mendota  and  tauLfht  the  catechism  in  the  Indian 
lanj^uaj^e  to  some  of  the  lialf-breed  families.  He  established 
a  mission  at  Little  Prairie,  now  Chaska.  While  at  tin*  latt<>r 
place  he  wrot(» several  reliijious  books  in  the  Dakota  laiiLTUaj^e. 
Li  JSi;J  Rppt'ared  n  volume  entitled  AVakantanka  ti  Caneu, 
(  Path  to  the  House  of  Clod,  )  of  which  he  was  the  author. 

Mr.  Pavoux  made  many  converts  to  Christianity  amon^  the 
wild  Indians.  No  man  was  held  in  hij;lier  respect  by  the 
tin*  whole  community.  A  devoted  and  faitiiful  past(U',  a  kind 
friend  to  the  ))oor,  he  was  always  enLca^ed  in  some  act  of 
philanthropy.  He  ministered  to  those  of  nil  denominations 
and  all  classes  alike  by  de«'dsof  kindness.  The  ])rivate  soldiers 
in  the  garrison  received  th(>  sanu'  kind  attention  that  was 
j^ivtMi  to  the  officers  in  their  ipiarters.  The  improvith-nt 
half-breeds  an<l  there  were  many  of  them  in  those  days  who 
rarely  looketl  out  for  the  morrow,  were  freipiently  relieved 
from  distress  by  his  {generous  etforts.  H(*  has  lived  nn  event- 
ful and  \iseful  life.  jNb>st  of  those  with  whom  he  was  ho 
intinuitely  associated  forty  Acars  aj^o  have  passed  away,  but 
the  Ki'cd  sown  by  him  in  those  early  days  has  l)rou;^ht  forth 
noble  fruit.  There  is  not  an  old  settler  in  the  land  but  hjia  a 
fond  recollection  t)f  this  exci'lh'iit  missionary. 

ItKV.    l»lt.    THOMAS   Wir.I.lAMSON. 

Dr.  Williamson  was  consulted  more  than  any  other  man  by 


60 


I'KllSON.VL   Itl'COLLErTIONH 


the  Iiuliau  agency  in  IH-t'.),  if  wr  <'xe('i»t  tlio  Ponds.  Ho  was 
born  in  South  Carolina,  in  ISOO.  Fiv<>  years  later  his  parents 
moved  to  Oliio,  and  when  seventeen  yeai's  old  youn^  ANilliani- 
son  jj;raduated  at  JeU'erson  collc^jc,  Pennsylvania.  Tn  1S27 
he  married  ^1  iss  Mary  Poag»',  and  canie  to  ^linnesota  on  a 
tour  of  obsei'vation  in  IH'.M,  and  with  his  family  in  May  18I55, 
Besides  his  wife  and  iid'aiit  dau};;hter,  he  was  accom[)anii'd  by 
his  wife's  sister,  Miss  Mary  Poaj^e,  afterwards  Mrs.  (i.  H. 
Pond,  and  by  Mr.  Alexander  (1.  Huv;k''is  and  family.  Soon 
aft«'rward  they  proceeded  to  liae-ipu-parle.  Ju  this  company 
wei*e  the  first  white  women  whoever  ascended  tlu^ Minnesota. 

HaviiiLf  labored  ch'ven  years  at  ]iac-(iui-])arle  aihl  built  up 
a  church  of  forty  mendu-rs,  he  left  the  station  in  charj^e  of 
Dr.  Pij.;,t^s  and  removed  to  Kaposia,  live  miles  bt\Iow  St.  Paul, 
wliero  he  remained  si.\  years,  when  he  renK)ve(l  to  Yellow 
Medicine.  The  outbreak  of  1)S()2  scattered  the  ••hnrches,  but 
Dr.  AVilliam.son  had  the  con.solation  of  kno\vin<^  that  all  the 
Christian  Indians  <-ontinued,  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives, 
steadfast  frii'nds  of  the  whites,  and  that  they  succecih-d  in 
saving  more  than  their  own  nund)er  of  white  peoj)le. 

Dr.  AVilliamson  had  not  one  enemy,  and  those  who  ditfered 
with  him  in  his  estinuite  of  the  Indian  character  ri'spected 
him  for  his  integrity.  His  belief  that  no  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  churches  had  taken  ])art  in  the  massacre,  though 
contrary  to  general  opinion,  is  conlirmed  by  the  mo.st  thor- 
oiigh  investigation. 

Dr.  Williamson  died  at  his  residence,  in  St.  Peter,  Minne- 
sota;-Tune  24,  1H77,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  life.  He 
Inbonnl  f(tr  twenty-seven  years  among  the  Dakotas,  and  for 
thirty-six  years  was  a  mi.ssioiuiry  of  the  Am(«rican  Board. 

The  above-named  are  all  the  missionaries  T  met  at  the  St. 
Peter  agency  in  1S41),  except  Rev.  M.  X.  .Vdams,  wlio  was 
stationed  at  Lac-([ui-j)arle.  He  is  now  at  the  Sisseton 
agency  in  Dakota.  We  shall  take  occasion  to  S|)eak  of  his 
good  work,  at  a  later  pi'riod.  • 


CHAPTER  XT  I. 


WII.I*    FOOD    IN    MINNESOTA. 


Wlu'ii  Philander  Prcscott  rnmr  t«»  tlio  uppor  conntry,  in 
181'.),  tlu'  imtivfs  (Icpcndcil  inuch  on  the  wild  product  of  the 
i'oimtry  for  food  ;  and  1o  kouic  (>xt('nt  it  was  used  wliru  I 
arrived  in  Minnesota  in  LS4!).  In  most  instances  it  was  easily 
gathered,  and  I  found,  while  among  tho  Indians  in  un  early 
day,  that  even  n  white  man  would  soon  hecoine  fond  of  the 
wild  sw(M't-{)otato  and  one  or  two  other  varieties  of  tho  wild 
tubers  llio  scpiaws  si-rved  up  to  us  in  their  tepees. 

According  to  Mr.  Prescott  the  most  ,»rominent  varieties  of 
wild  ])rodiiet  used  by  the  Indians  were  tlH<  meiido  or  wild 
sweet-potato,  tip-sui-ah  or  wild  ])rairie-turiiip,  pang-he  or 
artichoke,  onien-o-cli.ih  or  wild  l)ean,  psui-chin-chali  ir  swamp 
potato,  pesicli-fdi  lowahapa  or  wild  rice. 

Tho  wild  sweet  potato  is  ftmnd  throughout  the  valleys  of 
the  Mis8issipi)i,  Minnesota,  nnd  other  streams  in  tlm  central 
part  of  ^Minnesota.  It  grows  about  tho  bases  of  bluffs,  in 
rather  moist,  soft,  ri'  !i  ground.  Tiie  plant  resembles  ihe 
sweet-potato,  and  the  loot  is  similar  in  growth  and  taste.  In 
a  letter  to  Hon.  Thonias  Evvbank,  dated  November  10,  1841), 
Mr.  Prescott  8ay.s,  "  It  diM's  not  grow  so  large  nor  so  long  as 
the  cidtivated  sweet-potato,  but  I  should  hav(*  tlwHight  it  the 
same  were  it  not  that  the  wild  potato  is  not  affected  by  the 
frost."  The  Imlians  simply  boiled  them  in  water  when  i)re- 
paring  tlu>m  for  the  table.  I  intended  to  have  uuuh*  experi- 
ments in  the  cultivation  of  tho  niendo,  believing  it  would 
bear  cultivation,  and  perhaps  when  perfected  a  now  variety  of 


(\2 


rr.iisoN  \i.  iii:(()i,f.K(  TtoNH 


HWrcl-potato  of  f^rcat  value  winild  he  addt'd  to  <itir  products. 
I  ifjLfivt  my  n('jj;li^f»'iic('  in  tliis  iiialf<r. 

Tlic  wild  prairir-turinp  j^rows  on  i1h'  liiijli  native  prairies, 
in  si/,(>  from  n  small  hen's  i'<^l(  to  tlnit  of  a  Lfoose  cixi^,  and  ot" 
the  same  form.  'I'hey  liavo  ii  tiiick  Mack  or  brown  hark,  but 
are  nearly  jnire  while  insid(>,  with  very  little  moisture.  They 
grow  about  six  or  eij^ht,  inches  below  the  surface,  and  the 
Indian  women  Mould  di^  them  with  a  sharp-pointed  stick 
forced  into  the  j^nouudand  used  as  a  lever.  'I'hey  were  Ixtiled 
by  the  Indians  and  used  in  the  same  manner  as  we  use  our 
turuips.  They  were  frequently  s[)lit  open  antl  dried  ft)r 
winter  use  l)y  the  s([uaws.  When  dried  they  resembled  chalk. 
Mr.  I'rescott  thouLcht  tliat  when  tlnis  dried  they  couUl  !)«» 
ground  into  floiii'.  and  that  they  wimld  make  very  palatable 
bread. 

TluMirtichoke  i,m-ows  where  the  land  is  rich,  u(>ar  fallen  or 
decayed  timber.  It  was  only  used  for  food  when  tho  Indians 
wer(>  A'ery  hungry.  The  wild  bean  was  f(mnd  in  all  parts  of 
tlio  A'alleys  where  the  land  was  moist  and  rich.  In  regard  to 
this  plant  ]\Ir.  Pre.scott  says:  "It  is  of  the  si/.e  of  a  large 
bean,  with  a  rich  and  very  ])leasant  flavor.  When  used  in  a 
stew  I  have  thought  them  superior  to  any  garden  vegetable 
that  I  have  ever  tasted."  The  Indians  ai'e  very  fond  of  them, 
and  ])igeons  get  fat  on  tlu'Ui  in  tlu^  spring.  The  ])laut  is  a 
slender  vine,  fnmi  two  to  fcnir  feet  in  liight,  with  small  pods 
two  to  tlireo  inches  long,  containing  from  three  to  five  beans. 
The  pod  dries  and  opens,  the  beans  fall  to  the  gnmnd,  and  in 
the  spring  take  root  and  grow  again.  There  is  no  cpiestion, 
in  my  opinion,  but  what  this  ])lant  couM  be  successfully 
cultivated. 

The  8wami)-i)otato  was  found  -and  I  siippose  it  is  so  to  this 
(lay  in  water  and  mud  about  three  feet  deep.  The  leaf  is  as 
large  as  tho  cabbagt*  hvvf.  Tlui  stem  has  but  one  leaf,  which 
has,  as  it  were,  two  horns  or  points.  'J'lu>  root  is  obtained  by 
the  Indian  women  ;  they  wad(>  in  the  water  and  gather  the 
roots.  It  is  of  <jl)long  shape,  t)f  a  whitish  yidlow,  with  n  few 
black  rings  around  it,  is  of  a  slightly  jnuigent  taste,  and  not 
disagreeable  when  eaten  with  salt  or  meat. 

The  i)sui-chah  I  believe  to  be  of  the  same  family  as  the 


^ 


01'    MINNKMor.V    AND    ITS    I'lUJl'LK. 


()3 


Inftt,  but  Iho  ttil)(>r  is  not  so  liir^'c  'I'lic  stem  miuI  Icnf  ar«» 
siniiliir,  l)ul  il  ^mws  in  dccjM'r  water,  'i'lio  Jiiiliuiis  art-  very 
Coiulof  it.  J)(tlli  of  tlu'sc  tulnTsarc  l'<»uiiil  in  lar^c  (luaiifilii's 
ill  tlio  iimskrat  lodiccs,  slorcd  by  tli«'in  for  winter  iisc.  It  is 
not  sayiiiK  t«io  niucli  1o  call   tlitiii  a  luxury. 

Tlio  ta-wali-pali  is  anollirr  tiihrr,  or  ratlu-r  n  ro«»t,  that  tliP 
Indians  rstrciii  lii;^lily  as  food.  Liko  flin  two  preccdin",',  it  ia 
u  water  profluct.  Tlie  stem,  leaf,  and  u  yellow  tiower,  are  liko 
tlio  pond  lily.  It  is  found  in  the  lakes,  in  water  and  mud 
froii.  four  to  tiv(>  feet  dee]).  Tho  Indian  wtmien  used  to 
gather  it  in  hirge  quantities.  Tho  root  is  from  ono  to  two 
feet  in  length,  and  is  very  porous,  having  as  many  as  six  or 
eight  cells  running  the  whole  length  of  the  root.  Jt  is  slightly 
.sw(>et  and  glutinous.  Tho  Indians  generally  boiled  it  with 
wild,  fowl,  but  often  roasted  it  in  the  absence  of  wild  game. 
All  these  roots  were  preserved  by  the  Indians  for  winter  use 
by  boiling  theni  and  then  drying  them  ovit  the  tire  or  in  the 
sun 

The  greatest  i)roduct  of  all  was  the  wild  ri(  e,  at  least  as  an 
article  of  fooil,  which  the  Indians  them.selves  gathered  instead 
of  the  women.  Theyus(>(l  it  in  all  their  great  feasts.  It  was 
found  and  I  suppose  it  is  to  this  day  in  lakes  an<l  streams 
where  the  water  and  mud  i.s  from  thri'o  to  four  feet  deep  up 
to  t.  n  t)r  fifteen.  The  ric(^  harvest  was  a  short  one,  being  of 
only  a  week's  duratioji.  When  ripe  the  slightest  touch  shakes 
it  oil".  A  strong  wind  scatters  it  in  tin*  water.  The  Indians 
<il»tained  it  by  paddling  a  canoe  among  tin?  ric(^  when,  with  a 
hooked  stick,  they  drew  the  stalks  over  the  canoe  and  whipped 
off  the  grains.  They  continued  to  piish  the  <'anoo  on  and 
whipped  otf  the  rice  until  the  canoe  was  full,  then  carried  the 
cargo  to  the  shore,  mdoaded,  and  tilled  again  until  the  sea.s(m 
was  ended.  Tlu>  rice  is  dried  on  a  scaffold  coverecl  with  ri'ed- 
grass,  tinder  which  a  slow  fire  is  kept  burning.  It  is  (»f  a 
dark  color,  and  numy  of  tho  pioneers  prefer  it  to  the  Carolina 
rice.     I  never  did. 

I  do  not  give  the  botanical  names  of  these  products,  j)i'efer- 
ing  to  lot  them  renuun  in  their  own  native  Dakota,  just  as 
Mr.  Prescott  left  them  so  many  years  ago. 


Tsasan 


CHArTEIl  XIII. 

TRAVFT,    AND    AMUUKMKNT  IN  THE    FALL  AND  WINTEK  OF  '40-'5O. 


Tlu'wintiT  t)f  1S5()  whsh  ciuiet  oiu'  iit  Fort  Sncllin^,  as  well 
HH  througluuit  llu<  ■whole  iiortliwest.  Dccemher  Het  in  cold, 
nm]  (Icopsiiow  fell  in  all  porlioim  of  the  territory.  Early  in 
the  winter  news  <aine  that  j^ood  Major  Murphy  had  lu-en 
ri'nioxed  fnmi  the  Sioux  Mj^'ciicy  and  Major  N.  McJican,  a 
brother  of  Ihni.  John  McLean  a.rustice of  tht>  Supreme  Court 
of  tlie  I'nited  StoleH,  had  ])een  appointed  in  hisntead.  Major 
Mcli(  an  was  an  editor,  which  profesnion  he  had  foll(»we(l  since 
his  a'.!vent  into  (h<^  territory.  At  that  time  it  was  no  small 
undertaking  to  pack  up  and  nuik<»  n  journey  of  several  hun- 
dred miles  in  mid-wintx'r  on  sledg«'s  (as  this  dismissal  c(mx- 
pelledI\rajor  Murphy  to  do)  to  (Jalena,  the  nearest  availahlo 
point  of  easy  transit  to  other  parts"  of  the  world  ;  and  even 
then  only  I'riiik  iV;  Walker's  or  John  U.  Winter's  sta.LfeK  were 
the  vehicles  of  travel  ;  which  wert!  not  so  bad  in  the  winter, 
but;  in  suhuiut  sometimes  ijasKengers  had  to  bear  wiuattor 
rails  on  their  shouldei's  so  that  slovi^hs  could  be  suceessfidly 
traversed. 

Tlie  winter  months  were  jL'reatly  enjoyed  by  the  primitive 
jK'ople,  and  w«'re  somethinf^^  of  u  novelty  to  the  n«'w-comer8. 
Ah  h  larj^e  nunduT  of  them  were  of  Canadian-French  orif.fin 
tln'y  followed  in  tlu-  foi>tHtops  of  their  ancestors  and  observed 
tlie  l>et.rinning  of  winter  by  a  continued  series  of  dancing- 
parties,  in  which  they  were  joined  l)y  tli«)S(^  representing  all 
nationalities,  and  by  none  with  more  zest  thnu  by  thoso  of 
mixed  blood.  Many  of  the  latter,  it  waH  said  at  the  time, 
were  Ix-autiful  dancers  ;  and  tlu*y  were  certainly  f(m<l  of  that 


OF  MINNEHOTA   .\M)   ITS   I'F.OPLE.  16 

ninuHcinciit.     'I'lic  winters  in  tln'  (>iirly  diiyn  wt'ic  seasoiiK  of 
inirtli. 

,     A    VISIT     I'O     IIIK    TISAMINO    I'OSTS. 

"With  SamiK  1  J,  I-'iii'llcy  I  Htiirtcd  in  .litnuary  (tn  a  jounu'y 
from  Foil  Sneiii,.;'- liy  wny  of  lli<- Si.  Cioi.v  I'aDs  lo  tlin  I.akf 
Superior  ri'j^ion.  VIic  »»l>jt'('t  was  t«)  visit  the  dislanl  (radinj.; 
postH  wlnTo  Mr.  Stci'lf  waa  intori'Htod  in  j)iirchasiii^  fur. 
Mr.  Findlcy  coidd  speak  llio  French  nnd  Indian  lajii,'tiageK 
fluently,  and  from  his  lon^  residence  in  llie  north  (he  waw  a 
native*  of  Prairie  ilu  Cliien)  was  familiar  with  tlie  country 
and  coul<[  follow  a  trail  «•!•  nuike  Ins  way  through  the  deep 
forests  and  reach  any  point  in  the  woods  with  as  much  c«'r- 
tainty  as  an  Indian.  With  plenty  of  hlankt'ts,  huffalo-rohes 
nnd  j)rnvisions,  we  startcil  out  in  the  nndst  of  n  snow-storm, 
with  a  ilouble  train,  Iiy  wayt>f  St.  Paul  and  Stillwater,  for  llu' 
u J )per  country.  After  a  hard  battle  all  day  with  the  snow- 
drifts, we  (tnly  reached  the  half-way  house  hetweeti  St.  Paul 
and  Stillwater.  'I'his  liouse  luid  for  a  landlord  JoIifi  IMort;un, 
an  old  Hi'ttler,  a  warm-hearted,  liospit)d)le  num,  who  made  uh 
comfortahh^  after  the  tedii))is  day's  journey.  The  next  morn- 
ing; dawned  with  increased  violence!  to  the  Htorm.  It  was 
terrilic,  hut  durinii^  fi  lull  in  the  "arlv  forenoon  we  started  out 
nnd  made  the  seven  miles  to  Stillwater  just  as  <larkneK8 
npproat  hed.  We  put  up  at  the  Stillwater  Hoiise,  a  small  hut 
(.•ouvenieiit  place  of  entertainment  At  that  Mnie  Stillwater 
had  not  much  need  of  a  hotel,  thout.jh  durli.;;'  he  active  move- 
ment «»f  lumber  i\w  embryo  city  was  lively.  '1  hen  old  settlers 
had  ( ')  I  tliey  have  now)  a  jj^reat  likiny;  for  the  place. 


I'lONKEltS   i»|     STlLLWATI'.ll. 

Stillwater  was  tin-  first  honu'  of  iiiany  of  tlie  pioneers.  The 
first  courts  were  held  then  .  Calvin  I'.  Leach,  Klias  McKean, 
Joseph  11.  JlJrown,  (lovt'ri.or  William  lloh-onibe,  Joloi  Mc- 
Kusick,  Socrates  Nelson,  Samuel  JJerkleo,  David  H.  Jjoomin, 
M.  H.  Wilkinson,  Sylvanun  Trask,  John  1).  J.udden,  Henry 
F.  Set/er,  .lesse  Taylor,  Flam  (»ret>ley,  Albert  Stimson,  Wm. 
Willim,  the  Mower  brotlurs,  and  numy  other  ;.?o<h1  an<l  true 
men  and  patriots,  located  tlnTe  lint  tnir  Fathers!  AVliere 
are  tliey  !     May  the  people  of  tlmt  floiirisliiiig  city,  for  all 


Of) 


I'KIISON  \l. 


.(  iil.l.KCTIOXH 


timo  to  cniiM',  walk  tin-  '^iuim-  nmtl  tnisficd  iiy  tiles*-  iiitii.  It 
will  li'ml  them  t<»  tlif  int  ail«)vv-|iiiulh  wluwe  dews  iin*  the  Kweet 
ImlsaiuK  »)l'  eternity  I  • 

Tho  Ht(»rm  ntUl  r(i;,'!(l.  Tii  tliese  thiu'H  it  wi>niti  be 
Ifnnwn  !!s  a  l)liz/iinl.  This  Im-Iiij^  my  first  introdnction  to  a 
storm  otthis  cli.iracter  I  whm  :i!cliiie<l  to  thiiii;  thai  lariiierH 
ill  thi.s  eiiiuate  i-niiid  iievci-  <to  any  oiit-<iiior  '\nik  in  the 
winter,  iind  that  the  stork  '.vould  iill  fr»'«'/.e.  1  t'uimd  thiiHO 
opinions  erroneous.  Mr.  Steele  and  I  ha<l  a  threat  many  men 
at  work  for  us  durintc  the  winter,  and  hul  few  days  were  lost 
from  inclem«'iiey  of  the  weather  ;  and  in  after  ye>ars  I  win- 
h^red  hundreds  head  of  stock  Hiid  ne\er  lost  one  throui;h  the 
infliieuti'  of  ill*'  storm. 

Of  course  there  was  no  visible  track  up  the  river  from  Still- 
Wftt«'r  to  Hi.  Croix  FjiIIk,  and  we  had  to  pick  our  way  up  the 
fnv/.en  stream  the  l)est  we  could.  L'nder  the  inost  favorahle 
conditions  there  is  not  much  ph-HHiire  or  romance  in  traveliniL!; 
on  nled^;e,s  in  winter  in  Miunesola.  and  hss  when  iJK'airiH 
ful!  of  sucli  line  particles  of  snow  that  wlnu  <lri\('n  l>y  a 
Htront,'  wind  I  In-  stiii;^  's  aiimit  cipwii  to  ))ci(i_;'  pelted  with 
nettles. 

I  had  altout  inad''  up  my  mind  th.il  I  had  eni(U;.fh  (tf  the 
life  of  a  voyaf.(eur.  wluMi  just  as  ni^:h)  had  set  in  we  discov- 
ered in  the  twilii^ht  a  Uuildinjj:  near  i»y,  which  p'-ov«'<|  to  he 
OrunKe  Walkers  mill  ■'  .Marine,  on  the  left  hank  «if  the  St 
Crt)i>:.  Afi»'r  ••iwisiderahie  ditfictilly  we  foiind  tin*  road  lead- 
ing up  the  hluH",  and  w»'re  somi  rcstiuj^'  <"ond"ortHl)ly  in  a  line 
hot<fl,  f<»r  tlnwe  times.  We  iiad  jiasscd  the  Areola  mills  of 
the  !Mower  Uoys,  some  miles  i\<  \\n  the  river,  in  the  suow- 
Ktorin  without  knowim^  it. 

I.IMHI'.lt    niSINKHM   ON    rt!F.    ST.    CHOIX. 


The  Mar'ue  <ol.)uy,  an  ancient  settlement,  was  tit  first  <-om- 
|)(»scd  mostly  of  people  from  Marine,  Illinois.  TIk'  prin<-ipul 
Inisiness  firm  is  known  as.ludd,  Widker  «fe  Co.  This  hoiiHe 
emph)ys  a  j^reat  many  men  in  the  lumhcr  trade.  The  men  are 
Held,  into  the  pineries  liorderinjij  (Ui  the  St.  Croix  and  its 
trihutaricH.  They  cut  the  Ioj^h  d.irin^i  the  winter,  hank  them 
on  the  Htn»anm,  and  in  spring  tiiey  are  Houted  down  the  river, 


OV    MrXNKHOTA  AND    V\'H   VV.OVl.F.. 


67 


no 

.yf 

ow- 


tim- 

its 

liii-m 


{^nthorod  into  >i  boom  Jii  iMariin',  huw^mI  inttt  luiiihcr,  and 
raftod  down  tln'  St.  Croix  and  Mississippi  riv<M's  to  St.  liouis 
and  other  niark*'ts. 

The  nt'xt  (hiy  was  clear  ;  not  a  vestiy;«'  ot*  the  storm  was 
h'ft,  except  tht»  hnj^e  snow-drilts.  OtV  early  in  the  tnorninjjf, 
we  j)a.ssed  Osceola,  a  luinher  pn'cin«'t,  and  reached  the  east 
hanks  of  tho  Falls  of  St.  Croix,  now  called  Taylor's  Falls,  and 
gathered  up  sonn^  furs,  and  were  invited  l)y  a  trader  nanitnl 
Samuels  to  attend  a  i^atherin;^  in  his  howlin^^-alley  tlial  eveu- 
iug  at  early  cundle-li^(ht. 

FIJONTIF.ll    l)AN('IS(J.I'AHTy. 

We  responded  iit  the  projH'r  time,  and  f«)und  many  Indian 
maidens  dressed  in  blue  calico  j^owns,  and  several  whites  and 
halt-hreeds,  enjoying  a  dance.  Kverj'thintc  was  orderly,  an<l 
conducted  with  as  much  pnipriety  as  such  occa-sions  are  m 
the  old-setth'<l  portions  of  tlH>  east.  Samuels,  wlutse  wife 
was  a  full-bl(M»ded  sipiaw,  n)'inat^e<l  to  secure  the  ntten<lnn«'e 
of  the  Chippewa  maidens  who  wer(»  camped  in  the  itiiau'dinto 
vicinity  of  tie*  falls.  The  men  who  wen»  employed  in  the 
huid>er  camj)s,  mostly  from  the  e>ist,  seenu'd  to  n-tpiire  some 
form  of  amusement,  )ind  Samuels  got  up  this  novel  method 
of  KUpplyin)^  it 

The  yonuf^  ChifiiK'-wn  j;irls  were  well-behnved,  mode.st  and 
diffident,  bu!  like  many  of  their  white  listers,  eiijoyeil  dancinj^. 
I'jverythinj<  was  conducted  on  the  strictest  line  of  teniixTance. 
the  men  tn'atinj^  tho  maideius  respe<>tfully.  At  midni;.^ht  a 
fin<'  HUpp«'r  was  nerved,  after  which  the  dancitijif  wrh  continued 
until  daylight,  wlu'ii  tlie  men  (pnetly  retired  to  their  boiirdint^- 
()lai-es,  and  the  j^irls  donned  their  blankets  fuid  vent  to  their 
wit^vvams.  Thty  wen;  accompanied  to  the  ball  by  some  male 
or  female  relative.  Samuels  said  that  at  first  the  red  male 
ivdinirers  of  the  j^irls  rather  ol)je<'ted  to  their  atti'ndance,  as 
did  tlieir  jyarents  in  ;Home  instnnces,  but  as  a  j^eneral  rule 
th"  ''  ^irs  were  present  at  the  supper,  and  beinjjf  the 
It  J  .  ..  uf  a  tMtnntifu!  stipply  of  ih'!i<'acies.  fr(>e,  their 
.tbj»'«'tionM  wer**  waived.  All  communication  between  the 
I  M.  !(-;  on  the  f!«»or.  or  at  the  )mn({uet~tabi(>,  was  thnm^h  an 
mte  Ml.  i(  I,  as  lh<*  <^irls  cotdcl  not  H|M>ak  Knfjjlish  nor  tlie  Iniys 
'Miipp'  ^*a. 


Oe  I'KHKONAI,    ItEroLLKCTIONH 

Miiny  bt'iiutiful  C()ttajj;«'.s  hml  Iwon  huilt,  even  ut  thin  early 
day,  arouiul  lliHtiKutioii  of  tlu>  Falls (►£  St-  Croix  in  WiHooiiKin, 
whih'  the  Miiint'Kota  Hide  cxliihitcil  jinicli  cnlt'ipriH'.  Jlon, 
W.  U.  ('.  l''u1som  was  a  n-hidciit  of  tin-  little  hainlt'l.  Ht'luui 
in  1H4(},  with  Martin  ]\[ow«'r  and  .Ioh<'[>]i  JJrt'Wstt'r,  Ihh'u 
intt'reHted  in  laiildin}^  a  naw-nii'l  at  Areola. 


AN    HXll.K    IKONTIKHHMAN. 

After  a  day  or  two  at  the  falls  we  starled  northward, and  for 
the  Hrsl  few  miles  found  an  exeellenl  road,  made  hylhetefuns 
of  those  en^aj^ed  in  the  himher  trade.  On  a  branch  of  one  of 
the  numerouH  HtreaniH—  the  Siuiriw«'  was  an  aj^ed  num  named 
Thomas  Connor,  who  had  a  s([iuiw  for  a  wife.  He  had  a  few 
floods  for  sale  to  the  Indians,  and  enterfwiiied  the  voyaj^eurs 
and  trappers  and  the  few  wanderers  who  traversed  the  wild 
country.  He  had  lonj^  heen  a  resident  in  the  wilderness, 
seldom  visiting  civilisation.  .\  man  of  ^(mmI  habits  and  }{ood 
education,  above  tin-  avera^^e  in  point  of  ability,  it  seenu'd 
Strang*'  ho  should  lead  su.-h  a  life.  No  one  was  a<-(|uainted 
with  hi.s  previous  history,  furtli»>r  than  that  he  had  resided  in 
the  vicinity  ft)r  lonf.(  years,  nor  onld  any  one  understand  why 
he  elected  to  ])econu'  an  e-xile  in  the  npjM'r  valley  of  the  Ht. 
Croix.  On  e\j)ressing  surprise  to  a  missionary  that  a  nntn  of 
such  intellij.fence  should  bury  himself  in  such  a  manner,  li(> 
replied,  "Oh,  the  woods  and  the  country  borderinj^  on  Jiake 
Superior  art!  full  of  ,'ust  su'-h  n)en."  In  some  instances  they 
Inul  been  unfortunate  in  business  in  the  east  Some  luul  lost 
their  ^oo<l  name  and  tied  into  the  extreme  western  forest  to 
brood  over  their  sorrow.  C)thers  had  committed  a  crime  and 
hail  sou|.(ht  tlu^  isolateil  j)laces  f»u*  safety.  I'ew  had  souj^ht 
the  lonesonu'  wilds  fn>m  love  of  it.  They  can  scarcely  be 
called  hermits,  because  they  are  prone  to  associate  with  the 
Indians.  Many  of  them  had  stpuiws  for  wives,  who  generally 
cultivated  a  little  jj^arden,  while  in  nearly  every  instance  the 
men  triKJed  mortMir  less  with  the  Indians.  It  is  true  their 
ontlits  were  small,  b\it  they  were  well-selected  ;  and  in  those 
clayH  it  did  not  reijuire  n  f^reat  stock  of  v«'rmillion,  ochre,  and 
otlier  kinds  of  paint,  ^lass-bends,  red  and  blue  calico,  with  a 
few  Mackinaw  blankets,  powder,  h'ad.  shot.  t<»bacco  and  njjfini 


■■  ■  t 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND   ITS   J'EOl'LE.  W 

or  two,  to  nmke  h  roH^)ocUi1>lo  wtock  of  p;oo(1h  for  a  kind  of 
guerrilla  IruHic  with  tli»»  Iiuliatis.  Jii  onirr  to  ]>o  a  rvyjular 
trntler  in  tlio  liidiiiu  country  u  lict'UKc  from  tli<*  Iiuliiiumilhor- 
iti«'S  wiiM  nccesnary,  but  frequently  nu'U  with  Iiuliau  wives  did 
not  observe  tho  existing  lawH.  Mr.  Connor  waa  u  favorite 
with  tho  luuibennou  on  tho  Htreanis  norih  of  hin  lorality, 
because  ho  always  liad  good  fires  to  camp  by  in  tin*  winter, 
an<l  Bet  an  excellent  table,  and  could  entertain  liis  guests  with 
iut4'n>sting  reminiscenc(>s  of  his  hojourn  in  th«<  valley  of  tlu* 
St.  Croix.  Ho  passed  away  many  years  ago,  as  have  all  his 
coutom|)orarieH  who  followed  the  same  movlo  of  life. 


'  ( 


A    I'HENOMENAJ,   WINTEU. 


From  Mr.  Coimor's  jdaco  mo  followed  the  trail  to  Elam 
Greeley's  logging  camj)  at  Knako  river,  which  as  not  far 
fnmi  tlie  present  bito  of  Pine  City.  Mr.  (Jrec  -y  was  one 
of  the  primitive  hnnbernu'ii  on  tho  8t.  ('roix.  Ho  informed 
mo  that  two  or  three  winters  previously,  in  <'ompany  with  a 
Mr.  lilake,  from  Winnebago  county,  Illinois,  and  another 
jHTKon,  lu^  was  t'lignged  in  logging  on  the  Sunrise.  They  never 
])anked  a  log  on  tho  river  during  the  wholo  winter  in  ccm.***'- 
(juenco  of  the  total  absence  of  snow  !  He  hwl  kejtt  his  rrew 
in  the  woods,  hoping  against  hope,  all  ready  for  work  when 
tlie  snow  shoidd  come,  but  it  did  not  come  at  an/  (me  time 
during  tho  wh.-h'  winter  siitficient  to  wiiiteu  the  ground, 
and  as  (,  consecpiencc*  tlit>  tirni  hiitl  large  outgoes  with  no 
iuc«mie.  This  was  i)robably  the  ouiy  winter  of  the  kiud 
known  Ml  ^linnesota. 

From  Sfr.  ( Jreeiey's  rnmp  wo  made  our  way  to  the  small 
tnnling-post  «tf  T-ouis  .laivis,  a  J''ren«li  Canadian,  whose  place 
of  business  was  on  the  banks  of  Pokegema  Lake.  From  him 
We  secrured  a  superior  lot  of  furs,  principally  marten.  IM  r. 
J  a  rv  is  was  married  to  an  intelligent  half-breed  girL  In  ear- 
lier years  a  voyarreur,  he  had  savetl  s(mje  money  whdi»  foll»)W- 
ing  f hilt  hard  litV-.  which  iKMUvested  in  the  Indian  trade, 
married  the  pretty  Maiicy  Jiapiairi*-,  and  settled  nein-  tin 
mission  gnninds  on  the  beautiful  lake,  and  mmie  an  uncertain 
livelihood  in  Be'liiig  )>aiiit  and  iM'afls  to  the  Itulians.  P«M)r 
Jurvis  I     Tho  hanlships  hi>  eu<lure«l  on    plains,  in  the  forest, 


70 


PF.RHONAL  IIECOI.LI'.OTIONS 


flivl  Bwinj^iiif<  tlip  oars  in  flic  rivors  and  Inkos,  (lnnn<^  his 
•Mi-^a^oiiu'iit  willi  tho  fur  comjjniiy,  (It'Hlroyed  lii.s  linilth,  niid 
lie  lived  only  u  few  nionflis  af'fcr  K*'i'i>3  i"^^  businosH  for 
hiniHi'lf. 

THK    Ol.l)    IMMAN    MISSION    (JKOUXDS. 

At  tl.(*  time  of  my  visit  to  the  lako  the  olil  mission  had 
been  removed  ta  oilier  ])urts  of  the  wildcu'ness.  Tho  labor  of 
the  missionaries  in  tlie  neij^hborhood  was  closed,  but  their 
good  deeds  foHowed  them,  thou{j;h  many  of  the  Indians  once 
so  numerous  around  tho  lako  had,  in  conseciuenee  of  the 
incessant  hostility  of  the  Dakotas,  abandoned  tho  seen  us  of 
th«'ir  early  home  and  ^one  to  reside  with  their  kith  and  kill 
northward  almost  to  the  shore  of  Lake  Superior.  There 
wore  many  brave  warriors  in  tho  band,  but  they  wero  liable 
to  be  cauf^ht  by  Dakotas  in  anilmsh,  and  worsted  in.  battle. 
A  few  half-breeds  remained,  mostly  of  the  Laprairio  family 
blood,  who  delighted  in  war  ;  but  tho  few  full-bloods  who 
n^nuiined  adopted  tho  habits  of  tho  whites  and  tilled  tho  soil 
Uy  a  considerablo  extent.  It  is  seldom,  however,  that  nn 
Indian  is  either  a  good  economist  or  a  g(M)d  farmer,  though 
there  are  exceptions,  but  not  many. 

HNOW-SHOES. 

In  visiting  these  small  trading-jiosts  and  hunters'  camps  I 
found  that  snow-shoes  were  necessary  when  outside  tho  paths 
mad(»  by  lumbei-men.  To  a  novico  they  are  Tinpleasant  and 
nncomforlable,  and  to  get  on  one's  feet  in  tho  deej)  snow, 
lifter  bt^ing  tripjxxl  up  by  a  mis.step,  is  no  slight  task.  After 
one  has  served  an  apprenticeship  in  wearing  them  ho  cuu 
travel  with  eas»>  and  sjM'cd.  I  am  not  sure  but  a  num  well- 
vers(>d  in  the  mysteries  of  travelling  over  the  snow  with  snow- 
shoes  can  make  as  many  miles  per  day  on  lliein  as  ho  can 
without  them  and  with  boots  on  a  lianl-lK>aten  i)ath.  Kspe- 
cially  is  this  so  wluMi  theri'  is  a  slight  crust  on  tlie  surfa«-o  of 
the  snow.  There  is  considerable  rom»i  -o  in  wenring  snow- 
hIhm'S  so  long  as  the  straps  which  are  wound  anmnd  tho  feet 
an«l  attached  to  tli(»  Miow-shoes  do  not  gall  tho  feet. 

We  s{M'nt  a   profitaible  i»onth  among   tho    Indians,    trad- 
ers, and  lumbermen,  in  the  upper  8t  Croix  valley  and  along 


OF   MINNESOTA    AND   IIS    l-KOPLE. 


71 


the  trilmtnry  Hli'Pnms.  Wo  tlioro  renewed  onr  acqtiaintanre 
with  Hon.  N.  Setzer,  who  whs  eonuecled  with  Mr.  Greoley  iu 
hiniher  openitions  on  Snake  river.  He*  was  a  niemher  of  the 
firnt  territorial  Le^isliituro,  Tlio  hiinlier  <>i)eratit)ns  were 
crutle  in  tlioHO  early  (liiys  i.i  the  j)inerii'H  of  Minnesota  and 
Wineonsin.  The  nbsenco  of  h(U)n»s  and  other  necessary 
facilities  to  niako  them  i»rotital)ie  may  be  set  down  as  the 
reason  that  those  early  lnml)ermen  made*  no  m(mey  in  jj;(>tting 
(Hit  h)iL?s.  This  1  know  to  my  sorrow,  ns  a  winter  or  twoat'ter 
my  visit  to  tiie  St.  Cn)ix  ])ineries  I  enj^aj^ed  in  the  enterprise 
on  Hum  river  and  lost  817,000  in  tlio  operation  ;  not  hnt  that 
there  wex'e  hu}^(^  i)ih'S  of  1o,l!;s  hanki-d,  and  safely  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi, I'ut  there  camo  a  Hood  ;  many  of  the  loj^s  went  over 
the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  nnd  were  swei»t  down  tlie  riv(>r,  and 
it  cost  more  to  gather  them  up  and  raft  them  to  southern 
markets  than  they  were  worth.  Had  tliere  been  fj;ood  boom 
privileges  sueli  disasters  wouhl  not  liave  occurred.  There 
was  one  advantap*  the  luuibernien  hiid,  however,  and  that 
was  that  the  tind)er  was  ji;ood,  and  grew  ri,L,dit  on  the  banks  of 
the  river,  so  the  liaula  were  sliort  and  tlio  cost  of  banking 
light  to  what  it  is  now.  Then  again  the  stuju])ago  was  free. 
At  that  early  i)eriod  the  public  domain,  and  all  that  was  on  it, 
was  frei'  plunder. 

All  the  lundu'r  used  in  the  houses  erected  at  an  early  da^' 
in  this  j)artof  the  northwest,  and  all  that  was  lafted  down  the 
Mississippi,  was  secured  from  the  lands  belonging  to  the 
government,  and  cost  nothing  to  th-so  wiio  cut  it.  Early  in 
the  fifties  tho  government  claimed,  aiul  in  some  instances 
secured,  a  stumpago  but  th»^  anumnt  was  very  snudl.  The 
agents  sent  out  from  AVashington  to  collect  it  weit»  nnahle, 
even  with  the  powerful  aid  of  the  government,  to  secure  more 
than  a  nu're  pittance.  One  of  tho  tind>er-agt'ntH  was  a  brother 
of  the  Presid(>nl,but  Mr.  Fillmore  met  with  no  better  success 
than  the  others. 

THK   llKTUltN. 


i>  *" 


After  gathering  all  our  furs  and  sending  them  to  tho  Fort 
by  voyageurs,  wo  started  home  through  an  unbroken  wilder- 
ness past  tho  iiuuKM-ous  lakes  in  what  is  now  Chisago  county. 
After  leaving  the  jnne  lands  we  came  into  a  tract  of  beautiful 


-'imt 


72 


I'KllSONvr,    lIKfOrj.KCTIONH 


Imnlwotxl  tiiiiixM',  mostly  suj^ar-mnplr.  'I'lioso  ^^rovcs  have 
loiij^  Him'*)  puHScd  inviiy  ;  luixo,  pnMluclivi*  fariiiH  and  happy 
fir»'«i(lt'H  «'xiHfc  in  their  ])hici>,  mostly  «»ccupii>(l  by  intclli^i'nt, 
inihistriuus,  hanly  NorHt'm»'nan<l  their  (IcHciMuh'nts  in  Chisa^fo 
county. 

While  at  Taylor-s  Falls  I  (li-sii-cd  to  m.'(>t  X.  ('.  J).  Taylor, 
a  friend  of  my  I'arliest  boyhood,  althouj^h  ten  y«'ars  my  seniitr, 
but  ho  was  absent  in  the  pineries.  Mr.  Taylor  was  on<'»*  a 
clerk  for  his  uncle  Nathan  l.ovejoy,  a  inerehaid  in  New 
Hampshire,  in  the  vicinity  of  my  early  home,  lie  was  a 
resident  of  Alton,  Illinois,  in  iSII'i.  We  lived  in  the  same 
Lamlet  at  the  Stake  13ijL,';;inj.;s  lead-mines  in  AVi.sconsin. 
When  I  left  for  ^lexieo,  in  184(1,  Mr.  Taylt>r  eamo  to  the  St. 
Croix  valley.,  and  was  one  of  the  original  ]»reemptors  of  the 
city  «)f  Taylor's  Falls.  l"or  many  years  ho  was  one  of  the 
most  active  Imsiness  men  in  jSIinnesota.  In  IHot  he  was  <i 
member  of  t'lie  territorial  h'j^islature.  In  lH,")(}lie  was  also  a 
member,  and  was  elected  Hpv'ak«>r  at  that  session.  In  IKOt) 
lie  was  i'lecled  treasurer  of  C'hisajjfo  county,  and  re.4'Ieeted 
for  many  years.  He  died  in  1HH7.  Mr.  Taylor  was  a  j)Ufe, 
just  man,  in  l)otli  j)ublio  a^id  ])riva1e  life.  No  taint  ever 
attached  to  his  namt».  Amon^  the  many  ]>leasant  visitors 
umler  my  humble  roof  durinj^  manyyears  there  never  was  ono 
more*  welcome  than  Nathan  Chase  Daniel  Taylor.  1I(»  wuh 
uever  married.     No  nuin  was  moro  iiniversally  respected. 

Mr.  Taylor  havinj^  a  lar>.,'e  experienc(»  in  mininjj;,  was  of  the 
opinion  that  some  day  <'op[M'r  aiwl  other  mines  would  i»e  dis- 
covered around  the*  falls  of  St.  ("roix  ;  in  which  opinion  all 
miners  of  «'xperience  fully  coiK'ur.  The  formati(»n  is  jj^reen- 
stone,  much  in  apjM'arance  like  the  copper-bearing  rock  of 
Lake  Superior.  TIuh  dark-jj^n'cn  trap-rock  is  very  tliireri'ut 
from  the  fornuitiou  around  the  fallB  of  St.  Anthony. 


CHAPTER  XTV. 


EVENTS   IN   TIIK   WINTKlt   AND   Sl'UINO   OV   IHiH). 


il 


''■y  i 


T^c  loii^  winter  cif  IH")!!  1m>ciuiu'  wcfirisoinc  ms  tin*  sprin^f 
moiitlm  H|)pn)(u'li»'<l  mikI  n«»  HtcaiiilioiifK  (•;i!iir.  ('(iiimiimifii- 
ti(»n  to  tlu*  lower  (-(miitry  was  on  tlic  ire,  tliou^jfli  «'iirly  in  the 
winter  .1  U(l^(>  Wynmn  Knowltoii,  of  Pniirie  <ln  Cliien,  laid  out 
nn  nir-linc*  roa<l  from  that  phice  to  St.  Paul,  the  «!iKtane»>  heiny 
onlylUIJ  nules  ;  liut  people  preferred  the  ice  to  the  new  road. 

Two  proiiiisin;^  kcIiooIm  were  opened  in  St.  .Vnfhony,  and 
tlu'  library  asstM-iation  provided  for  intellectual  treats  to  the 
younj^  colony.  Rev.  Dr.  K.  (i.  (Jear.  in  a  lect\iie  early  in 
January,  said  that  on  his  first  visit  to  \nlho!iy  cataract,  nine 
years  Itefore,  there  was  only  one  jioor  caliin  there,  a!id  a  body 
of  Indians  were  enu;ai;ed  in  spirit  worship.  Out  of  ])rush  the 
Indians  had  erected  a  larg<'  number  of  booths  several  hundred 
feet  lon^,  in  the  center  <»f  wliicli  was  a  do^  bedaubed  with, 
various  <*()lorM,  which  was  a  prominent  feature  in  the  super- 
HtitiouH  exercises. 

Jjientenant  V..  \V.  .nthnsdn,  Fb»n.  W.  I!.  Marshall,  and  other 
j)ri»minent  citizens,  lectured  before  tlieas.sociation.  .\  sewin^'- 
cin'lo  WHS  formed  by  the  ladies,  whicli  was  a  kind  of  relief  to 
the  honu>-sickness  whiclj  they  naturally  felt,  to  some  »'xtent, 
the  tlr«t  winter  after  their  departure  from  their  former  home. 
II(»ii.  tlohn  .\.  Wakefield  or;j;ani/ed  a  temperance  society  in 
8t.    Paul,    wiiich    extt'uded    to    St.   Anthonv.     The 


aea* 


lemy 

building   was  finished  and  a  kind  of  hi^fh-school  wj:s  «)iK>ned 
in  it  durin;^  the  latter  part  of  the  wintt'r. 

(J<M)dhue  of  thc'  Pioneer  was  inclined  to  |M>ke  fur.  at  those 
around    the    falls.     That    paper  of    l-'eiuiiary  27lh  said    that 


74 


PEHSON  \  I,   l{KC()LLE(  riONH 


pn>lt(il)Iy  a  town  on  llic  wi'Ht  nlion'of  tlu>  Fulls  of  St.  Anthony 
would  Im'  laid  out  and  vi<j;on)UHly  coinnicnffd  lli(>  rnsuinj^ 
K|)^in^,^  \\r  added  :  "  We  propose  that  it  he  called  AH  Saints, 
HO  an  t(»  heiid  otl"  the  whole  ealendar  of  saintH.  "  After  tin- 
Hiiow  disajjpeared  in  ^larch,  tlio  Pioneer  said,  "  We  learn  that 
on  Sunday,  Aj)ril  '{,  a  fire  broke  out  in  St.  Anthony,  in  the 
dry  jj;rasH,  and  burnt  ovt-r  several  S(|Uares  where  l)uildin^8 
will  he."  Jjittl(>  did  Colonel  (loodliue,  or  any  on(>  at  that 
time,  think  tliat  in  thirty-five  years  notonly  those  few  S(iuare8 
would  1)0  Imilt  over,  but  that  solid  blocks  would  extend  from 
them  for  miles. 


(MIANdi:    OK   CO.M.MAND    AT    1  OUT    HNKI.I.INO. 

On  the  27th  of  February  Colonel  Tjoonus  received  orders 
to  turn  over  tli(>  conuuand  to  Colonel  Woods  »ind  proceed  to 
Fort  licavenworth.  The  noble  old  coh)nel  who  had  done  ho 
much  for  the  benefit  of  the  northwi'st,  and  for  Christianity, 
nev(>r  returned  to  Fort  Snellin^.  With  his  ileparture  the 
missioiuiries  lost  their  best  friend. 

On  April  Ud  orders  came  for  Colomd  WcmkIs  to  tjike  three 
comjjanies  from  Fort  Snellin^  and  proceed  to  Iowa  and 
remove  the  Pottawatomies,  Sacs  and  Foxes,  over  the  ^Missouri 
rivi'r.  This  onh-r  ended  Colonid  AVoinl's  command  and 
presence  at  the  fort. 

Such  was  th(*  anxiety  t\>r  tlu^  arr'val  of  Hteandxiats  that 
little  else  was  talked  about.  On  tluf  I'.Hh  of  April  the  High- 
land Mary,  Captain  John  Atkinson,  landed  at  the  fort.  Many 
eiti/eus  of  St.  Paul,  Stillwater,  and  other  places,  were  that 
ni^ht  in  much  the.same  condition  as  wen  the  friends  «)f  Johnny 
when  he  came  marcliing  hom«»  from  the  war. 

New  life  and  vigor  was  imparted  to  the  enterprising  and 
enthusiastic  i)ioneers  of  the  upper  Mississippi  by  the  opening 
of  luivigation  in  the  spring  of  ISoO  •  but  it  must  not  bt*  suj)- 
I)OHed  that  the  long  winter  months  were   without  excitement. 

KHC^UIMAUX    IHSI'ATCHKS    IIV    lUXl-THAIN. 

On  the  first  of  March  a  dog  train  arrivedfrom  the  Red  river 
of  th«»  North,  containing  news  of  moment  from  the  Arctic 
ocean.     T   forwanh'd  this  news   to  the  Pioneer,  and  receive<l 


OF    MIXNKHOrv    AM)    11 H    I'KOl'LE. 


75 


from  rditor  (loodluic  the  following;  cvitlriicc  of  npprocifttion  : 
"I  HMi  greatly  obliged  to  you  for  the  Esiiuinmux  disimteheH, 
"nnd  liesitated  whether  to  mako  an  aekiiowledgment  for  the 
"  favor,  ill  print  ;  l)iit  hiially  deciihMl  ni>t  to  do  it." 

v\|)ril  ltd  word  was  received  that  fourteen  Chippewns 
woro  killed  at  Apjjle  river  ;  and  the  weekly  mail  t'ro!ii  I'rairie 
du  Chien  Itrought  interenting  accountrt  of  the  Parkinson  mur- 
der trial  ill  Hostoii.  All  ih'ws,  even  if  it  was  old,  from  tlu» 
great  world  outside  of  Minnes(ila,  was  thoroughly  diseussed. 
Newspapers  were  rend  and  re-read.  The  peoph^  were  well- 
informed  ill  regard  to  tlH>  current  events  of  the  day.  One 
could  tell  the  names  of  every  senator  nnd  representative"  in 
congress,  and  th(5  states  they  representt'd.  Then  again  the 
health  of  the  people,  according  totlu'  population,  was  superior, 
if  possible,  to  that  of  a  later  period.  More  food  wascoiisume<l 
to  the  average  man,  ami  enjoyed  with  a  keener  relish,  than 
elsewhere.  Colonel  (loodhne,  f)n  careful  investigation,  said 
that  it  tfMik  nine  men  to  pole  a  keel-boat  \ip  the  St.  Croix 
river,  and  on  an  average  they  consumed  a  barrel  of  Hour  and 
a  barrel  of  jiork  on  the  trip.  H«<  claimed  that  men  eat  more 
here  than  any  i)lace  in  the  Unitt'd  states.  True,  the  luxuries 
were  few,  but  the  necessari(>s  of  life  were  appreciated,  and 
so  long  as  the  wantH  of  the  inner  man  wer(>  satisfied  there 
was  no  danger  but  that  the  ingenuity  of  th<<  p(><iple  would 
find  proper  amusement  during  the  long  winter  months. 


. ;'! 


A   TItll'   TO   THK    l.OWKU    COITNTUV. 

On  the  2i)\h  of  April  the  good  steamer  Nominee,  Captain 
Orrin  Smith  (  whose  name  is  a  housi'hold  word  to  the  pioneers 
of  the  upper  valley  of  the  great  river ),  appeared  at  Fort 
Snelling  with  recruits  and  govt'rnment  stores  for  the  army. 
Having  an  important  engagement  at  Rockford,  Illinois,  I  took 
IMissage  on  the  sttamer  forCJalena.  At  St.  I'aul  and  othtu' 
landings  several  jM'rsons  came  aboard  bound  for  the  lower 
ccmntry  ;  among  them  was  Simon  Powers,  who  had  (piite  a 
cargo  of  live-stock  which  he  was  taking  to  the  lower  markets. 
Among  the  lot  was  an  old  whit«>  muh*  which  I  had,  as  agent 
for  Mr.  Steele,  sold  with  other  stock  the  previous  fall.  This 
mule  Mr.  Steeli'  purchaseil  from  the  quarternuister's  depart- 


f,   i 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


Hi  i.8 


1-25      1.4      1.6 

4 6" 

► 

V2 


& 


/a 


y 


7 


"^    >    ^, 


M 


'# 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  V.i*T  WAIN  STW6T 

\V6'»S7IR,N.Y.  l-iSaO 

(716)  e?2-4503 


,> 


•-«•« 


76 


PERSONAL    REC0LLECTI0N8 


ment  in  1837.  la  1849  he  was  cai)nble  of  doing  a  heavy  day's 
work,  and  no  one  would,  from  his  apj^earance,  snppoHe  he 
was  over  fifteen  years  old,  though  Joseph  R.  Brown,  who  was 
a  soldier  at  the  time,  and  present  on  the  occasion,  said  this 
same  mule  lielped  haul  the  stone  that  was  used  in  building 
Fort  Snelling,  and  was  by  no  means  a  youngster  at  tiiat  time. 
We  were  all  much  suri)rised  that  Mr.  Powers  should  ship 
stock  for  the  lower  markets  when  we  required  so  much  here 
and  boat-loads  were  being  shipped  to  Ht.  Paul  and  other 
towns.  Mr.  Powo'\>-  explained  the  reason  by  saying  that  he 
had  purchased  horses  the  previ(ms  year  in  St.  Louis,  and 
traders  there,  who  understood  their  value,  had  requested  him 
to  secure  the  descendants  of  horses  that  had,  at  an  early 
period,  been  introduced  into  the  lower  Red  river  valley  by 
the  Earl  of  Selkirk.  These,  with  the  French-Canadian  horses, 
were  the  original  breeds  that  were  in  use  in  pre-territorial 
days.  They  were  capable  of  great  endurance,  and  were  fleet, 
requiring  but  little  grain  notwithstanding  the  extreme  cold, 
and  were  valuable  either  as  roadsters  or  for  the  chase.  When 
Mr.  Perry  and  his  associates  came  from  the  Hudson  Bay 
territory  and  settled  on  the  reservation  nejir  Fort  Snelling,  in 
1827,  they  brought  their  stock  with  them,  which  included 
many  valuable  horses,  and  it  was  this  blood  that  Mr.  Powers 
was  transporting.  He  was  undoubtedly  the  first  man  in  the 
territory  who  shipped  horses  to  the  lower  country  tV)r  the 
purjjose  of  selling  them. 

On  landing  at  Galena  I  was  surprised  to  find  the  season 
was  as  forward  at  Fort  Snelling  as  it  was  in  that  city,  and  I 
found  that  such  was  the  case  all  the  way  to  Rcx-kford.  I 
began  to  be  impressed  that,  after  all,  Minnesota  was  not  such 
a  hyperborean  region  as  it  had  been  represented  to  be.  There 
was  no  perceptible  difference  in  the  climate  between  Rockford, 
Illinois,  and  St.  Anthony  Falls. 

A   BUSINK88   OFFER    FROM    CAPTAIN  (SINCE   GENERAL)  KIRKHAM. 

While  at  Rockford,  I  received  a  letter  from  Captain  Kirk- 
ham,  quartermaster  in  the  United  States  army  at  Foi-t  Snel- 
ling, in  which  he  says  :  "Major  Woods  leaves  to-day  forlcwa, 
"  directing  the  three  companies  of  trooi)s  to  follow  him  in 


OF    MINNESOTA   AND   ITH    J-EOPLE. 


77 


*'  about  ten  days.  I  have  uo  doubt  it  is  to  be  a  summer's  job, 
"  and  will  rei^uire  quite  a  heavy  disbursement.  I  shall  send 
"ten  days'  supplies  of  everything  with  them,  and  two  months' 
"  supplies  of  all  rations  except  pork,  Hour,  and  fresh  beef. 
"  Tliese  ■"' !'  pXTrehased  in  market.  Forage  will  also  have 
"to  be  bin;;  .  for  upwards  of  a  hundred  head  of  horses  and 
"  mules.  I>  ow,  can  yoii  play  agent  or  contractor  ?  You  know 
"  what  we  agreed  upon  before  you  h^ft.  If  you  think  it  for 
"yoiir  intei'est  to  go,  I  wish  you  would.  I  am  sure  you 
"  will  not  regret  it.  I  would  like,  in  case  you  decide  to  go,  to 
"  have  you  at  Muscatine  by  the  10th  or  17th.  Woods  will 
"meet  the  troops  at  Marengo.  I  will  bring  down  funds  with 
"me  if  I  go,  and  if  I  cannot  leave  with  the  troops,  will  send 
"you  a  draft  on  tlietiuartermastor  at  St.  Louis  for  a  thousand 
"dollars,  which  will  be  enough  to  start  upon,  P.  S.-  The 
"  steamer  Lamartine  went  up  to  St.  Anthony  on  Saturday  the 
"4th.  A  large  party  of  us  from  the  garrison  were  along. 
"  We  took  the  band  and  had  a  pleasant  time.  The  river  was 
''  so  strong  that  the  boat  could  not  land  on  the  east  side,  biit 
"  we  8toj)ped  opposite  Tuttle's  place.  There  is  no  doubt  now 
^' about  the  head  of  navigation." 

I  decided  to  acc(>i)t  the  position  of  agent  of  the  quarter- 
master in  the  expedition  to  remove  the  Indians  from  Iowa 
to  the  west  side  of  the  Missouri  ri\er,  and  so  notified  Captain 
Kirkham. 


THE   FIRST    WHITE    LADY    PIONEEK   OF   ORIGINAL   MINNEAPOLIS. 

On  the  10th  of  May  I  perfected  the  object  of  my  visit  to 
Eockford,  and  Miss  Frances  Helen  Miller,  of  Oneida  county, 
New  York,  became  my  wife  ;  and  now,  after  nearlv  forty 
years  since  that  event,  I  can  with  certainty  say  that  man  was 
never  blessed  with  a  better  wife.  She  is  the  first  white  lady 
pioneer  who  became  a  permanent  resident  of  the  original 
Minneapolis,  and  is  the  mother  of  the  first  white  child  born 
in  that  city. 

RETUIIN  TO    MINNESOTA. 

A  two  days'  journey  brought  us  to  Galena  whence,  on  Mon- 
day, the  13th  of  May,  we  embarked  with  our  old  friend 
Captain  Snuth  and   his  excellent  clerk  Maitland,  for  Fort 


IH 


l-i 


-a.>^w>-^^^i?^-yrr«<>. 


■  /ft^  :f.  r  :<i«K?r;ai'^ 


^-■^■.■^•^w^-nr- 


78 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


Snelliiifi^.  Tho  stonmor  wiis  full  of  emigrants  hound  for  the 
new  country.  Among  those  who  have  since  been  prominent 
in  Minnesota  ntfairs,  and  held  high  positions  in  the  state,  was 
George  AV.  Moor(%  who  was  for  a  long  time  connected  with 
Major  John  P.  Owens,  manager  of  the  good  old  Minnesotian,. 
a  newspaper  of  much  nHmient  in  territorial  day.  I  met  Mr. 
Moore  a  few  days  before  at  liockford,  and  advised  liim  to 
visit  the  territory.  He  had  been  a  book-printer  in  New  York. 
On  the  way  up  the  river  wo  met  several  agents  of  the  gov- 
ernment picking  up  Winnebago  Indians  who  had  stealthily 
strayfHl  away  from  Long  Prairie,  and  wandered  back  to  their 
old  haunts  and  hunting-grounds  on  the  banks  of  the  river  in 
Iowa  and  Wisconsin.  The  little  baiids  gathered  from  time 
to  time  were  marched  to  the  huiTicane-deck  of  the  steamer, 
and  when  the  last  came  aboard  at  Wabasha  prairie,  now 
"Winona,  the  upper  deck  presented  the  appearance  of  an 
Indian  encampment.  They  were  so  thickly  packed  that  it 
was  rlifficult  for  the  pilots  to  reach  the  pilot-house.  These 
Indians,  on  their  arrival  at  St.  Paul,  were  marched  overland 
to  the  agency  at  Long  Prairie. 

ENTHUSLVSM   FOR   MINNESOTA. 

In  addition  to  Mr.  Moore,  there  vrere  several  others  who 
for  the  first  time  wer(^  on  their  way  to  look  for  homes  in  the 
north  ;  most  of  whom  were  pleased  with  the  country,  and 
located  on  claims,  and  have  been  useful  citizens  of  the  state. 
I  had  diiring  twelve  months'  rc^sidence  caught  the  enthusiasm 
of  those  who  hsid  preceded  me  to  Minnesota,  in  regard  to  the 
resources  and  advantages  of  the  country,  and  was  constantly 
doing  missionary  work  among  the  numerous  i)assengers  all 
the  way  up  the  ri>'er,  without  being  aware  of  it.  The  primi- 
tive iidiabitants  believed  in  the  brilliant  future  of  the  upper 
valley  of  the  river.  This  belief  was  contagious.  Frequently 
an  innnigrant  from  the  east  wcmld  at  iirst  be  disgusted  with 
the  lay  of  the  land  but,  as  a  general  rule,  the  longer  he 
remained  the  better  he  was  satisfied,  and  after  a  year's  resi- 
dence he  was,  like  all  the  others,  an  active  missionary  in 
behalf  of  his  adopted  country. 

Landing  at  St.  Paul  on  the  forenoon  of  the  KJth,  we  were 


OF  MINNESOTA   AND   ITS    I'EOPLE. 


79 


met  by  Mr.  Steele,  and  other  friends,  and  immediately  pro- 
ceeded by  land  to  Fort  Snelling,  which  at  that  time  was  almost 
abandoned  by  the  tri^ops,  only  one  company  remaining  for 
garrison  duty,  the  other  companies  having  left  a  few  days 
before  for  the  wilds  of  Iowa,  where  thty  were  to  be  eiuj^loyed 
in  removing  the  Iiidians,  and  where  I  was  to  join  them  with- 
<mt  delay.  During  my  absence  Mrs.  Stevens  remain(?d  in  the 
family  of  J.  W.  Bass  in  St.  I'aul. 

Having  had  considerable  experience  in  the  quartermaster's 
•department  with  the  army  in  Mexico,  it  was  thought  best  by 
the  commanding  officei-,  Colonel  "Woods,  that  I  should  perfect 
the  necessary  arrangements  for  the  convenience  of  the  expe- 
dition, at  his  headquarters;  and  as  the  steamer  Highland  Mary 
was  on  the  eve  of  departure  f  rc^m  Fort  Snelling,  I  went  aboard 
and  secured  passage  for  Dubuque,  from  which  city  I  was  to 
proceed  overland  and  overtake  the  troops  at  a  point  known 
as  Patterson's  trading-post,  some  thirty  or  forty  miles  west  of 
Iowa  city.  At  that  time  there  were  scarcely  any  settlers  west 
<  )f  Marengo  to  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Missouri  river. 
The  broad,  vast  country  with  its  rich  soil  stretched  out  for 
hundreds  of  miles,  which  had  to  be  traversed  before  the 
Indians  could  be  landed  on  their  reservation  west  of  the  river. 
As  the  early  season  of  1S50  was  an  unusually  wet  one,  the 
pi'airies  were  almost  impassable  for  our  heavily-loaded  govern- 
ment mule-teams. 

REMOVING   THE   INDIANS. 

Previous  to  my  arrival  at  the  headquarters  of  the  command 
Colonel  Woods  had  sent  out  runners  to  the  diflPerent  fragment- 
ary bands  of  Indians  who  were  scattered  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  Patterson's  trading-post,  recpiesting  them  to 
come  in  and  hold  a  council  with  him.  In  ccmipliance  with 
this  request  many  of  them  resjjonded.  Old  Poweshiek,  chief 
of  the  Pottawatomies,  accompanied  by  several  individuals  of 
his  band,  as  well  as  by  some  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  who  were 
proTvding  through  the  country,  appeared,  but  no  satisfactory 
terms  could  be  agreed  upon.  Colonel  AVoods  then  commenced 
gathering  them  in  with  the  troops.  This  was  a  slow,  expensive 
process,  and  not  always  attended  with  success,  on  account  of 


f( 


»!' 


NMW 


80 


PERSONAL    ItECOLLECTlONH 


obstnactions  thrown  in  tne  way  by  traders.  For  instance, 
several  hundred  would  be  gathered  ready  to  start  the  next 
day  for  tlieir  reservation  when,  during  tlio  night,  whiskey 
woiild  l)o  sniuggled  into  the  camp,  and  the  resnlt  was  that, 
when  moving-time  came  the  Indians  wer<>  scattered  many 
miles  in  different  sections  of  the  neighbor! lood,  and  this  too, 
although  the  camp  was  strictly  guarded  })y  the  troops.  The 
work  would  then  have  to  be  commenced  over  again.  If  there 
is  one  branch  of  service  which  the  army  despises  more  than 
another,  and  justly  too,  it  is  gathering  uj)  wandering  bands  of 
Indians  that  range  over  a  large  extent  of  territory,  ma/ching 
them  into  camp,  and  guarding  them  afterwards.  If  the  mus- 
ket or  bayonet  could  he  used,  it  woidd  be  different.  Siich 
measures  would  soon  be  effective  ;  but  the  wily,  cunning  red 
truants  ^vei-e  wards  of  the  government ;  their  only  offense  was 
in  running  away  from  their  location  west  of  the  Missouri, 
they  said  because  the  climate  was  against  them,  and  there 
was  no  game.  They  wanted  to  be  let  alone  and  live  in  the 
land  where  they  were  bom,  and  be  buried  by  the  graves  of 
their  fathers.  They  knew  very  well  that  powder  and  ball  and 
cold  steel  could  not  be  used  in  forcing  them  back  to  the  land 
of  their  exile.  After  repeated  attempts  to  make  a  clean  deal — 
and  some  of  them  were  successful — Colonel  Woods  closed  a 
contract  with  a  couple  of  citizens  to  remoT*  them  :  which  was 
successfully  executed. 

Every  meml)er  of  the  command  had  a  holy  horror  of  the 
fearful,  bottomless  roads  through  the  wild,  rich  country  to 
the  Missoiiri.  The  troops  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Woods  engaged  in  the  tiresome  and  perplexing  expe- 
dition were  well  known  to  the  early  citizens  of  the  territory. 

Colonel  Woods  received  orders  from  the  War  department 
to  proceed  to  the  Lizard  Fork  of  the  Des  Moines  and  erect  a 
fort,  which  is  now  the  site  of  the  flourishing  city  of  Fort 
Dodge.  Proceeding  to  Muscatine,  which  had  been  our  ship- 
ping  point  t)n  the  Mississippi,  I  embarked,  in  company  with 
my  wife  who  met  me  there,  on  the  steamer  Anthony  Wayne, 
Captain  Dan  Able,  for  Fort  Snelling.  Captain  Able  after- 
wards became  famous  in  the  transportatiqn  of  troops  under 
General  Grant  during  the  earlier  stages  of  the  war  on  the 
lower  rivers.     He  was  a  favorite  with  the  first  merchants  of 


OF  MINNEHOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


81 


the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  in  consequence  of  repeatedly  run- 
ning his  steamer  up  to  the  Falls. 


FIRST   IMPORTED   STOCK. 

At  Musca'ine  I  imrchased  a  drove  of  cows,  paying  for  them 
only  sc^'cn  dolhirs  i)er  head,  and  shipped  them  to  Fort  Snel- 
ling,  to  stock  my  embryo  farm,  a  portion  of  which  is  now 
known  as  Minneapolis.  This  was  my  first  venture  in  stock 
in  Minnesota,  and  was  also  my  second  venture  in  agricultural 
matters.  I  only  mention  this  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the 
low  price  of  stock  in  the  west  at  that  time.  I  paid  the  steamer 
Dr.  Franklin  No.  2  four  dollars  per  head  for  their  transporta- 
tion from  Muscatine  to  Fort  Snelling  ;  so  the  cows  cost  me, 
delivered  at  the  fort,  only  eleven  dollars  per  head.  They 
were  a  fair  average  lot,  and  many  of  their  descendents  are  to 
be  found  in  the  state  to-day.  This  was  undoubtedly  the  first 
herd  of  cows  ever  introduced  on  the  west  bank  of  the  falls, 
outside  of  those  recpiired  for  the  use  of  the  troops  at  Fort 
Snelling.  It  is  well  known  that  for  many  years  previous  to 
the  occupation  of  the  military  reservation  from  a  few  rods 
above  Bassett's  creek  down  toward  the  Falls  of  Minnehaha, 
the  government  summered  and  wintered  all  their  stock, 
which  was  mostly  imder  the  care  of  Alpheus  R.  French,  then 
a  quartermaster-sergeant  in  the  army.  He  occupied  the  old 
government  dwelling-house,  which  was  on  the  margin  of  a 
deep  ravine  near  the  Palisade  mills,  and  his  stables  and 
yards  were  on  the  bank  of  the  river  just  below  the  dwelling- 
house. 

MINNESOTA   CLIMATE   BANISHES  CHOLERA. 

When  we  were  out  a  few  miles  from  Muscatine  my  wife 
told  me  that  she  had  learned  from  the  chambermaid  that  chol- 
era had  broken  out  among  the  ])assengers  on  the  boat  after  it  left 
St.  Louis  ;  that  several  persons  died  on  the  way,  and  several 
others  were  dangerously  ill  with  the  disease.  It  was  mostly 
confined  to  the  steerage,  but  a  number  of  fatal  cases  had 
occurred  in  the  cabin.  There  were  several  deaths  after  we 
came  aboard,  but  the  further  we  proceeded  up  the  river  the 
less  the  dreadful  disease  prevailed. 

On  landing  at  Galena  we  met  Mr.  Steele,  who  was  on  his 


'm 


82 


I'ERSOX.VL    IJECOLLECTIOXH 


!»' 


re  him  home  from  the  Athintic  cities.  He  was  nccompanied 
by  Mrs.  Steele's  mother,  Mrs.  W.  C  Barney  of  Baltimore. 
She  Avas  the  only  daughter  of  Judge  Samnel  Chase,  wlio  was 
one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declarati(»n  of  Independence,  and 
afterwards  one  of  the  Supreme  Judges  of  the  United  States. 
Her  hi^sband's  father  was  the  distinguished  Commodore 
Josia.  Barney.  Betttn-  than  all,  she  was  the  mother  of  many 
beautiful,  accomplished  daughters.  There  being  no  vacant 
state-room  in  the  ladies'  eal)in,  I  gave  up  mine  to  Mrs.  Bar- 
ney, who  occupied  it  with  Mrs.  Stevens. 

When  cases  of  cholera  proved  fatal,  the  remains  were 
buried  aft(?r  dark  on  an  island  or  at  a  lauding,  in  rough  coffins 
prepaied  during  the  day  by  the  ship-carpenter.  My  experi- 
ence on  the  boat  during  this  trij)  convinced  mo  that  cholera 
is  worse  than  yellow-fever  or  black- vomit.  I  had  been  on 
shipboard  between  Vera  Cruz  and  New  Orleans  where  were 
many  fatal  cases  of  the  latter  ;  bixt  bad  as  those  cases  were, 
cholera  is  worse.  I  dislike  to  think  of  that  journey  up  the 
river. 

HIGH-WATER    OF   1850. 

As  we  neared  the  end  of  our  journey  we  noticed  that  the 
river  was  full  of  fresh-cut  logs,  and  soon  word  came  that  the 
logs  had  all  broken  through  the  St.  Anthony  boom  in  conse- 
quence of  high-water,  and  had  come  over  the  falls.  This  was 
dreadfully  unwelcome  news  to  Mr.  Steele  and  myself,  because 
the  main  dependence  of  the  new  village  of  St.  Anthony  was 
at  that  time  centered  in  pine  logs  ;  and  then  again  the  loss 
would  be  a  serious  one  to  Messrs.  Steele  and  Ard  Godfrey, 
the  owners  of  both  the  logs  and  the  mills.  It  was  afterwards 
learned  that  while  several  million  feet  of  logs  went  over  the 
falls  there  was  still  left  a  sufficient  quantity  to  keep  the  mills 
in  successful  operation  until  the  next  season's  logs  could  be 
secured  ;  but  the  loss  was  a  heavy  one. 

Hon.  Joseph  R.  Brown,  who  came  with  the  troops  in  1819, 
said  that  the  flood  of  1850  was  the  greatest  since  the  occupa- 
tion of  the  country  by  the  government  forces. 


FIRST  TOWN-ELEpTION  IN  ST.   PAUL. 

Diiimg  my  absence   St.  Paul  held  a  town  election.     Dr. 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


83 


Thomas  Potts  whh  elected  president.  The  orgauizatioii  was 
not  completed  too  early,  for  the  march  of  improvement  was 
almost  beyond  belief.  It  far  exceeded  the  expectation  of  the 
most  sanguine  and  enthusiastic  of  those  who  had  predicted 
that  a  great  city  was  to  be  built  there  in  the  near  fxiture. 
St.  Anthony  and  Stillwater  were  closely  following  in  the 
footsteps  of  St.  Paul. 


J 


CHIPPEWA8   SCALP   DAKOTAS   IN   ST.    PAUL. 

Hole-in-the-Day,  blood-thirsty  chief  of  the  Chippewas,  with 
some  of  his  warriors,  made  a  raid  upon  the  Sioux  encamped 
in  the  precincts  of  St.  Paul  and  scalped  some  of  the  xmfortu- 
nate  Dakota  s,  and  took  others  prisoners.  Governor  Ramsey 
called  the  chiefs  and  head-men  of  each  tribe  to  meet  him  in 
council  at  Fort  Snelling,  on  the  11th  of  June,  to  determine  if 
there  was  any  possibility  that  an  end  could  be  put  to  the 
frequent  butcheries  between  the  two  savage  tribes.  A  treaty 
of  peaoe  was  agreed  upon  only  to  be  broken  at  the  first  con- 
venient opportunity. 

ST.   PAUL   AND  ST.   ANTHONY   IN   GENEROUS  RIVALRY. 

Ice-,  bread-,  butcher-  and  milk-carts  appeared  on  the  streets 
of  St.  Paul  and  St.  Anthony  for  the  first  time  this  early 
summer.  Although  the  two  places  were  then  in  the  same 
county,  there  was  a  generous  rivalry  between  them.  Some- 
times they  "  made  faces  at  one  another". 


1  o; 


.1     i 


<mm 


mm 


HHi 


CHAPTER  XV. 


MOVING   INTO   THE   LITTLE   HOUSE   UNDEll   THE   HILL. 


The  hurablo  house  iiiuler  the  hill  being  rendy  for  occupa- 
tion, we  moved  into  it  August  6th,  1850,  soon  after  our  return 
from  the  ex])edition  in  Iowa.  The  only  way  we  coidd  reach 
the  hoxise  from  St.  Anthony  was  by  taking  a  small  boat, 
with  two  sets  of  oars,  above  Nicollet  Island.  The  volume  of 
water  was  so  great,  and  the  current  so  strong,  we  were  for- 
tunate if  the  landing  Avas  made  any  considerable  distance 
above  the  rapids. 

Captain  John  Tai)per,  with  his  sinewy  arms,  required  a 
strong  assistant,  with  a  capacious  pan  for  bailing  purposes, 
to  make  a  sure  crossing  above  the  cataract.  There  were  big 
rivers  in  those  early  days  in  Minnesota. 

Pioneer  liousekeeping  was  not  new  to  me,  for  I  had  long 
kept  bachelor's-hall  in  the  lead-mines,  but  it  was  a  novelty  to 
my  wife,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  the  refining  influences 
and  conveniences  of  a  well-regulated  New  York  household. 
Sometimes  for  weeks  we  would  not  see  a  white  person  :  our 
only  visitors  were  Indians.  The  ferry  was  suspended,  which 
cut  oif  all  travel  on  the  west  side  of  the  river. 

Mosquitoes  surrounded  the  house  in  such  swarms  that 
smoke  would  not  banish  them.  The  windows  and  doors  were 
barricaded  with  netting,  but  that  did  not  sufiice  to  protect  us 
from  them.  The  beds  also  required  bars.  With  all  this 
protection,  Captain  Tapper  was  so  annoyed  by  their  depreda- 
tions that  one  moniing,  after  a  night's  duration  of  suffering, 
just  before  daylight  he  gathered  some  blankets  and  took  refuge 
on  the  brow  of  the  hill  back  of  the  house,  hoping  to  get  a  little 


;]H- 


I 


TTHST    HOUSE    IN     MTNM'.APOLIS  -  OX    THE    WEST   BANK   OF   THE 
FALLS  OF   ST.   ANTHONY— 1850. 


Ige 

,tle 


I! 


OF   MINNEHOTA   AND   ITH   I'EOl'LE. 


85 


sleep  before  broakfust.  He  rolled  himself  in  his  blankets  and 
was  just  entering  drenni-land,  when  the  hot  breath  of  an 
auimal  on  his  fneo  stnilletl  him,  and  thoroughly  ended  his 
inclination  to  sleep.  A  lar^e  timber-wolf,  with  several  eom- 
panions  near  by,  was  in  search  of  a  breakfast  in  the  early 
twilight.  With  a  voice  that  drowneil  the  rojir  of  the  neai- 
cataract,  Captain  Tapjx'r  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  shaking  the 
blankets — his  only  weapons  of  defense  at  the  wolves,  he 
made  a  misstep,  rolled  d»)wn  the  precipice,  and  with  a  single 
bound  entered  the  door  of  the  house,  thinking  he  was  followed 
pretty  closely  by  the  wolve.s.  He  declared  he  would  rather 
be  bled  by  mosquitoes  than  devoured  by  wolves. 

MV   OLD   FARM   WHERE   MINNEAPOLIS    NOW    IS. 

The  time  had  come  to  commence  preparing  tht«  lund  for  the 
plow.  August,  Septemlx^r,  and  Octol^er  were  considered  good 
months  for  grubbing  out  the  l)lack  jack-oak  u'liicb  abound'H.! 
in  such  numbers  that  it  was  with  difficulty  a  man  could  make 
his  wny.  ihrough  the  thicket.  The  land  selected  to  be  cleared 
bordered  on  the  river,  running  back  eighty  rods  from  the 
bank,  and  extending  about  half-way  up  to  tl'o  creek.  Captain 
Tapi)er  had  charge  of  the  work.  Ho  secured  men  who  had 
experience  in  griibbing.  The  trees  were  all  cut  off  ;  the  roots 
were  then  grubbed  out  and  burned  with  the  trees.  It  was 
expensive  in  clearing  the  land  this  way,  b\it  when  finished 
the  plow  moved  more  easily  than  on  the  prairie.  The  soil 
was  as  mellow  as  an  ash-heap.  The  crops  that  were  produced 
on  this  land  in  after  years  were  so  hea\'y  that  it  encouraged 
immigrants  who  saw  the  fields  to  settle  in  the  territory.  This 
ground  is  now  mostly  covered  with  solid  blocks  of  buildings. 
The  o\vner8  have  large  annual  returns  from  the  investments 
they  have  made  in  my  old  grain-fields  in  Minneapolis,  but 
they  cannot  feel  more  grateful  for  such  favors  than  I  did  for 
the  bountiful  crops  harvested  so  many  years  ago. 


NATIVE  GK0VE8  THAT  WERE  ON  THE  WEST  BANK  OF  THE  FALLS. 

There  being  many  beautiful  groves  of  hard- wood  in  the 
immediate  neighborhood,  but  mostly  outside  the  precincts  of 
my  claim,  which  I  was  anxious  to  preserve  for  the  benefi.t  of 


..fjoMIIMWIH 


86 


PEK80NAL  RECOLLECTIONS 


future  generations,  it  was  with  much  regret  that  I  observed, 
one  bright  September  day,  a  party  of  men  engaged  in  feUing 
trees  in  th-?  >aidst  of  cue  of  the  finest  of  the  groves  near  where 
Fifth  avenue  now  crosses  Washington  avenue.  I  protested 
against  such  vandalism,  when  the  foreman  informed 
me  that  he  was  there  by  direction  of  the  chief  of  the  authori- 
ties at  Fort  Snelling,  for  the  purpose  of  making  charcoal  for 
the  use  of  the  government  blacksmiths  of  the  post !  As  many 
of  the  prettiest  trees  had  fallen  by  the  hands  of  the  axmen, 
it  was  too  late  for  making  a  journey  to  the  fort  in  their  behalf  ; 
and  probal)ly  if  a  commencement  had  not  been  made,  I  could 
not  have  changed  the  result.  It  would  not  have  made  much 
diiference  iiny  way,  for  in  n  few  short  years  nearly  all  the 
primitive  groves  within  the  present  boundaries  of  the  city 
were  destroyed. 

EAKLY   MAIL    FACILITIES. 

At  this  time  there  was  no  postoflBce  in  St.  Anthony,  and  if 
there  had  beini,  it  would  hav(^  been  of  little  use  to  us,  on  ac- 
count of  the  difficulty  in  crossing  the  river.  There  were 
only  throe  mail-routes  in  the  territory  ;  one  from  St.  Paul 
to  Fort  Snelling  and  back  once  a  week  ;  from  St.  Paid  to  the 
Falls  of  St.  Croix  via  Stillwater  and  Marine  mills  and  back 
weekly  ;  and  a  weekly  between  St.  Paul  and  Stillwater.  Our 
nearest  postoffice  on  this  side  of  the  river  was  Fort  Snelling  ; 
on  the  other  side  St.  Paul.  There  were  only  sixteen  post- 
offices  in  Minnesota,  most  of  them  on  tlu^  banks  of  the  river 
below  St.  Paul.  We  usually  received  our  letters  and  papers 
once  a  week. 

OUR   NEIGHBORS. 


Fortunately  I  had  a  pretty  good  library,  and  Mrs.  Stevens 
had  a  piano  and  other  musical  instruments,  which  had  a  ten- 
dency to  '  >anish  fi*om  the  little  house  most  of  the  lonesomc- 
ness  naturally  incident  to  jiioneer  life  so  far  from  neighbors. 
At  that  time  the  old  government-house  was  unoccui)ie  \  and 
remained  in  that  condition  until  the  25th  of  the  following 
April,  when  Calvin  A.  Tuttle  moved  over  from  St.  Anthony 
and  occupied  it.  During  the  last  part  of  1850  and  the  first 
part  of  1851  M-e   were  alone  on  the  west  bank  of  the  falls. 


OF   MINNESOTA  AND   ITB    I'EOPLE. 


87 


Ambrose  Dyer,  a  native  of  Oneidn  county,  New  York,  a 
bachelor,  was  at  one  time  during  the  year  employed  to  look 
after  the  mill-property,  which  had  been  transferred  in  1849 
to  Robert  Smith,  member  of  congress  from  Illinois.  The 
different  tribes  of  Indians  were  viever  so  nnmeroiis  in  the 
neighborhood  as  in  1850.  A  constant  stream  of  Winnebagoes 
were  coming  and  going.  The  different  bands  of  Sioux 
remained  in  camp  several  months  on  the  high-lands  just 
above  the  falls.  They  did  not  interfere  with  my  stock,  but 
made  sad  havoc  with  my  garden.  As  a  general  rule  the 
Indians  respected  the  private  property  of  the  whites  residing 
outside  of  their  own  lands,  but  would  occasionally  confiscate 
the  property  of  the  missionaries.  For  instance,  Rev.  M.  N. 
Adams,  then  at  Lac-qui-jiarle,  in  a  letter  to  me  says  :  "  The 
"  general  aspect  of  things  here  at  present  is  pretty  much  as 
"  usual.  The  natives  have  again  recently  been  guilty  of  an 
"  outrage  ui)on  our  i)voperty.  On  last  Habbath  they  slaugh- 
"  tered  one  of  our  best  cows.  The  mere  loss  is  but  a  small 
"matter  compared  with  other  considerations  touching  moral 
"  principles  and  the  piiblic  good.  If  this  was  the  tirst  offense 
"then  i)erhaps  it  might  be  looked  upon  with  some  degree  of 
"  allowance  ;  but  for  some  fourteen  years  the  missionaries 
"  have  siiff'ered  siich  outrages  at  the  hands  of  this  lawless  and 
"savage  people.  "We  have  not  yet  appealed  to  the  civil 
"  authorities  for  special  interference,  although  legally  we  have 
"  a  right  to  do  so  :  for  we  are  personally  here  each  one  of  its 
"not  only  with  the  sanction  of  the  United  States  government 
"but with  guarantees  of  protection  and  all  the  assistance  that 
"  is  in  the  i)0wer  of  the  civil  authorities  to  render  us  in  the 
"  prosecution  of  our  work  among  this  people." 

There  can  be  no  ([uestion  but  that  the  cussedness  of  these 
savages  was  frequently  ainioying  to  the  missionaries. 

POLITICAL. 

I  had  hardly  become  settled  in  my  new  home  before  I  was 
called  ;ipon,  in  common  with  most  everyone  else,  to  take  part 
in  the  sel;.  ction  of  a  candidate  for  delegate  to  congress.  Then 
as  now  there  was  a  strong  feeling  against  what  was  termed 
monopolisms.     Some  persons  on  the  St.  Anthony  side  of  the 


88 


PEllSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


river  were  prejudiced  against  the  mill-compauy.  There  was 
no  special  reason  for  this.  Every  man's,  woman's  and  child's 
bread  and  butter  depended  on  the  success  of  this  industry, 
which  at  that  time  was  the  only  one  we  had  ;  and  while  there 
was  only  an  aAcrage  of  about  twenty  thousand  feet  of  lumber 
sawed  each  day,  it  M'as  our  all.  We  coiild  not  fall  back,  as 
our  St.  Paul  friends  did,  on  the  resources  gathered  from  the 
Indian  payments.  In  that  village  if  a  bill  was  to  be  collected 
the  collector  understood  very  well  that  he  would  have  to  wait 
for  his  money  until  after  the  payment  of  the  annuities  by  the 
general  government  to  the  different  Indian  nations.  Even  at 
that  early  day  St.  Paul  was  commercial :  we  were  manufac- 
turing. If  the  mill-company  wanted  a  particular  man  to  run 
for  delegate,  there  were  others  who  wanted  some  one  else. 
Party  lines  were  not  thought  of  by  the  people.  The  different 
factions  in  the  Indian  trade  had  their  favorites.  Several 
names  were  mentioned  to  succeed  Hon.  H.  H.  Sibley  as  dele- 
gate. Among  them  were  David  Olmsted,  Colonel  A.  M. 
Mitchell  the  V.  S.  marshal,  and  Captain  N.  Greene  AVilcox 
of  the  land-office  at  Stillwater  :  all  good  men.  I  was  aj^pointed 
chairman  of  a  committee  to  con*espond  with  thop?  residing  in 
different  parts  of  the  territory  for  the  puri^ose  of  an  early 
meeting  in  St.  Paul  for  consultation  in  regard  to  the  matter. 
Among  others  Rev.  G.  H.  Pond  was  solicited  to  be  present  on 
the  occasion.     He  replied  to  the  letter  of  invitation  : 


LETTEll   FKOM   REV.   G.    H.    POND. 

"  Oak  Grove,  August  6,  1850.  John  H.  Stevens,  St.  Peter, 
Minnesota — Dear  Sir  :  Yoixr  note  of  yestenlay  requesting 
me  to  inform  yourself  and  others  whether  or  not  I  would  be 
willing  to  attend  as  a  delegate,  the  proposed  convention  at 
St.  Paul  next  Saturday,  was  duly  received. 

"My  reply  is,  that  it  will  not  be  practicable  for  me  to  go  to 
St.  Paul  on  that  day. 

"As  regards  the  nomination  of  a  dologate  to  represent 
Minnesota  in  Congress,  I  think  party  feeling  ought  to  have 
very  little  to  do  with  it.  We  want  our  territory  represented, 
and  not  a  party,  nor  a  company,  nor  a  society.  AVe  want  a 
man  of  respectable  abilities,  a  man  of  character,  a  man  who 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND   ITH   PEOl'LE. 


89 


bo 


"  will  faithfully  represent  us  all,  and  one  of  whom  we  shall 
"  not  be  ashnmeil. 

"  I  should  he  ashamed  to  be  rejiresented  by  the  nominee  of 
"  a  clique.  I  shoiild  hii  ve  been  better  pleased  with  Mr.  Sibley 
"if  he,  as  a  representative  of  the  territory,  had  kept  himself 
"entirely  above  party  and  etmipany  interests  ;  biit  notwith- 
"  standing  what  he  has  done,  his  mistakes  and  blunders  to 
"which  we  are  all  liable,  I  would  still,  on  the  whole,  prefer 
"H.  H.  Sibley  to  any  other  man  who  has  yet  been  named  to 
"  me  as  suitable  to  represent  our  territory  in  the  naticmal 
"council.  Perhaps  we  have  a  better  man  :  if  so  I  hope  he 
"  will  be  fcmnd  and  elected  ;  but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind 
"that  those  who  are  most  earnest  to  obtain  the  office  may  not 
"be  best  (qualified  to  fill  it. 

"Let  lis  endeavor  to  name  a  good  man,  and  if  we  fail  to 
"elect  him.  we  slinll  not  be  asliamed  of  what  we  attempted  to 
"do.  Better  to  fail  in  a  good  cause  than  to  siicceed  in  a  bad 
"one.     Truly  yours.     G.  H.  Pond." 

Mr.  Pond  had  reference  to  Gov(M"nor  Sibley  during  the 
early  summer  of  1S4!)  esi)ousing  the  cause  of  the  democi'acy. 
when  he  said  he  "  should  have  been  better  i)leased  if  he  had 
kept  hin>self  entirely  above  party".  AVliile  Governor  Sibley 
had  pi'eviously  been  active  in  everything  that  could  jiossibly 
ben(>lit  the  t(>rritoiy,  his  politics,  to  the  mass  of  the  peo])le 
previous  to  June  1S40,  were  unknown  ;  hence  the  annoiuict>- 
ment  that  he  l)eliev(>d  in  the  democratic  party  of  the  day  was 
received  with  regi'et  by  several  of  us  old  whigs  ;  and  yet  we 
had  no  renson  to  censure  liim  ;  only  we  were  in  hopes  he  was 
a  whig. 

A  conference  was  lu'ld  l)y  the  friends  of  the  different  can- 
didates, and  wluMi  election-day  c-ame  there  were  only  two  can- 
didates in  the  lield  -  (lovernor  Sibley  and  Cohmel  Mitchell — 
the  foi'mer  being  re-elected.  \Miigs  voted  for  Mr.  Sibley 
and  democrats  for  Mr.  Mitcheil.  There  was  no  party  contest 
in  the  election.  The  people  wer(>  well  satisfied  with  the 
result,  and  were  glad  the  election  was  over. 

A  non-partisan  election  creates  more  strife  and  bad  blood 
than  when  strict  ])arty  lines  are  observed.  What  added  to 
the  excitement  was  the  interest  taken  by  the  <lilferent  houses 
engaged  in  trading  with    the  Indians.     Colonel  Mitchell,  the 


-    *»■■ 


90 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


defeated  candidate,  was  a  gentleman  of  fine  abilities,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  sncceedod  J.  L.  Taylor  as  U.  S.  marshal  of  the 
territory — Mr.  Taylor  declining  to  retain  that  office  after 
the  organization  of  the  territory  in  1849.  Colonel  Mitchell 
commanded  one  of  the  Ohio  regiments  in  Mexico,  during  the 
war  of  the  United  States  with  that  republic.  The  election 
campaign  was  fortunately  made  in  about  three  weeks,  so  there 
was  not  time  for  any  great  demonstrations  on  either  side, 
and  the  bad  blood  engendered  during  the  time  soon  passed 
away,  and  a  united  people  joined  with  heart  and  hand  again 
in  earnestly  laboring  for  the  development  of  the  agricultural, 
horticultural,  manufacturing,  and  commercial  resources  of  the 
territory. 

A  DISTINGUISHED  VISITOR. 


Minnesota  was  honored,  during  the  early  autumn  of  this 
year,  with  a  visit  from  Miss  Fredrika  Bremer,  the  world-wide 
known  Swedish  authoress.  In  those  colonial  times,  when 
the  -country  was  mostly  occupied  by  the  red  men,  the  Indian 
summers  ( so  called )  were  splendid.  Miss  Bremer  was  charmed 
with  the  one  that  year.  On  one  of  those  choice  days  she  vis- 
ited the  site  which  now  includes  the  city  of  Minneapolis  j)roper, 
when  the  foliage  of  the  trees,  in  their  beaxitiful  autumnal 
tints,  the  forests  brilli.iut  in  their  mantles  of  crimson  and 
gold,  glowed  in  the  autiimn  sunlight.  She  was  enthusiastic  in 
regard  to  the  picturescpie  scenery  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
falls,  declaring  it  was  tlie  most  lovely  wilderness  she  ever 
saw.  Such  scenery,  after  tlie  first  frosts,  when  the  leaves  of 
the  native  trees  seem  all  ablaze  with  celestial  flame,  so  new  to 
visitors,  is  a  familiar,  annxially-recurring  sight  and  source  of 
delight  to  every  resident  of  this  state. 

Little  did  Miss  Bremer  think  tlint  in  a  little  more  than  one 
generation  the  site  of  that  unbroken  wilderness  that  so  charmed 
her  w^ould  contain  within  its  limits  the  sixth-greatest  popu- 
lation of  her  Scandinavian  people  in  any  city  in  the  known 
Vvorld  !  Miss  Bremer  was  i)erhaps  among  the  first  of  her 
countrywomen  who  visited  us  ;  and  it  would  seem  that  she  has 
been  a  guardian-angel  to  her  i)eoj)le  in  the  city,  for  thv.^y  have 
prospered  in  the  new  land  of  their  adoption. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


ie 
Id 


IMPROVEMENTS. 

The  improvements  made  in  St.  Anthony  during  the  summer 
and  fall  of  1850  were  satisfaetoiy,  though  not  as  extensive  as 
anticipated  in  the  spring.  Ansou  Northrup  finislied  in  June 
the  erection  of  the  St.  Charles  hotel,  ajid  for  the  times  it  was 
a  lar<'e  house,  but  not  too  commodioixs  for  the  wants  of  the 
traveling  public. 

ARBIVALS   IK   1849. 

The  village  had  been  fortunate  the  year  previous  — 
that  of  1849  by  the  addition  to  its  numbers  of  such  men 
and  their  families  as  John  AV.  North,  Dr.  John  H.  Murphy, 
Keuben  Bean,  Judge  Bradley  B.  Meeker,  Dr.  Ira  Kingsley, 
Elijah  Moulton,  Charles  Kingsley,  James  McMullen,  Joseph 
M.  Marshall,  John  Jackins,  William  P.  Day,  Silas  and  Isaac 
Lane,  Francis  Huot,  Ij.  Bostwick,  Owen  McCarty,  Moses  W. 
Getchell,  Isaac  Gilpatrick,  J.  (1.  Si)em'e,  Lt>\vis  Stone, 
Rixfus  Faniham,  senior,  Eufus  Farnham,  junior,  Al])ert 
Dorr,  William  Worthingham,  Elmer  Tyler,  L.  N.  Par- 
ker (who- hauled  the  lumber  from  St.  Croix  for  Governor 
Marshall's  store),  Wdliam  Richardson,  Eli  F.  Lewis,  Charles 
A.  Brown,  A.  J.  Foster,  Charles  T.  Stearns,  Stephen  Pratt, 
William  W.  Getchell,  Isaac  T\es  Lewis,  J.  Q.  A.  Nickerson, 
Ira  Burroughs,  Samuel  Fernfdd,  AVilliam  H.  Welch,  F.  X. 
Creapeau,  N.  Beauteau,  John  Bean,  and  Amos  Bean  :  all  far 
above  the  average  in  regard  to  merit  and  enteri)rise  ;  and 
those  who  settled  in  St.  Anthony  in  1850  were  men  of  equal 
merit ;  citizens  who  would  be  an  honor  to  any  part  of  the  Union. 


**m 


92 


PERSONAL    UECOLLECTIONS 


AIJRIVALS   IN   ST.    ANTHONY    IN   18/)0. 

The  following  is  n  i)retty  full  list  of  jxm-sous  who  arrived 
iu  1850  :  Judge  Ishuc  Atwnter,  Eilward  Murphy,  John 
AVensinger,  Alien  Harmon,  C.  F.  Harmon,  fFohn  H.  Mann, 
Charles  AV.  Christmas,  William  Harmon,  Stej)hen  E.  Foster, 
George  T.  Vail,  A.  J\.  Yoinig,  E.  A.  Harmon,  Justus  H.  Moul- 
ton,  Charles  Miles,  Colonel  "William  Smith,  Judge  Joel  i^. 
Bassett,  Riifus  H.  Pratt,  William  Finch,  Chandler  Harmon, 
Reuben  B.  Gibson,  Simon  Bean,  Chris.  C.  Gavey,  Joseph 
Le  Due,  William  Stevens,  G,  G.  Lotmiis,  Joseph  P.  Wilson, 
Ezra  Hanscomb,  A.  C.  Murphy,  R.  P,  ITpton,  Thomas  War- 
wick, Eben  How,  Stephen  Cobb,  Joseph  Dean,  Peter  Ponein, 
Thomas  Chamljei's,  Horace  Webster,  Henry  Chambers,  Geo. 
W.  Chowen,  W.  W.  Wales,  Warren  Bristol,  William  L. 
Earned,  Simon  Stevens,  Captain  Benjamin  B.  Parker,  Water- 
man Stinson,  Charles  Gilpatrick,  Hon.  Baldwin  Brown,  John 
Hinkston,  Charles  Mansuer,  William  Smiley,  and  G.  W.  Tew. 


SOME   OF   THE   FIRST    I'ASTOuS. 

Rev.  Enos  Stephens  and  Rev.  C.  AV.  Newcomb  of  the 
Methodist  church,  and  Rev.  W.  P.  Brown  of  the  Baptist 
church,  administered  with  much  acceptability  to  the  wants  of 
the  people  in  a  spiritual  way.  Mi\  Newcomb  was  a  particular 
favorite.  He  subse(piently  became  a  colonel  in  the  army,  a 
member  of  congress  for  several  terms,  and  then  U.  S.  marshal 
for  Missouri. 

Mrs.AVorthingham,  wife  of  ^\m.  AVorthinghani,  introduced 
into  her  grounds  l)eautiful  ornamental  shrubbery  and  flowers. 
That  excellent  lady,  long  since  deceased,  was  the  pioneer  at 
the  falls  iu  making  her  home  beautiful,  attractive  and  pleasant 
with  choice  flowering  plants,  shade  and  ornamental  trees  and 
shrubbery. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The  public  schools,  first  inaugurated  by  Miss  Electa  Backus, 
were  never  moi"e  i)rosperous  than  during  this  season.  The 
scholars  came  from  the  four  corners  of  the  globe,  nearly  all 
nations  being  represented.  They  rapidly  fell  into  the  man- 
ners, and  readily  observed  the  rules,  the  art,  and  the  ways  in 
which  western  scliools  were  conducted.     Those  from  foreign 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS   PEOPLE.  VO 

lands  vied  witli  the  native-born  from  the  ditfei-ent  states  of 
the  Union  in  learning  that  which  would  l)e  useful  to  Ihem 
through  life. 

It  could  hartUy  be  expecttnl  that  lx)ys  and  girls  brought 
together  for  the  fii'st  time,  whose  nationalities  were  ho  varied, 
would  make  as  rapid  jjrogress  in  mastering  thtur  books  and 
studies  as  in  an  old-settled  school-district  where  inijiils  had 
been  acquainted  with  each  other  almost  from  the  time  they 
left  the  cradle  ;  but  a  few  weeks  sufficed  for  an  aa^uaintance 
ind,  strangers  as  they  were,  in  a  month  they  became  hajjpy 
members  of  the  same  school :  but  it  was  laborious  for  the 
teachers,  at  the  commencement  of  the  school-term,  to  properly 
manage  their  pupils. 

St.  Anthony  was  fortunate  in  the  early  days  in  securing 
such  educators  as  Professor  Merrill  and  his  associates. 


i\   :< 


I 


LEGISLATIVE. 

There  was  some  little  excitement  at  the  fall  election  for 
members  of  the  legislature,  but  John  W.  North  and  Edward 
Patch  were  returned  to  the  house  of  representatives.  Both 
members  were  elected  as  democrats,  though  Mr.  North  was 
generally  known  as  a  free-soiler  or  ar.ti-slavery  man  ;  but 
botli  gentlemen  were  supported  by  those  who  were  known  as 
nnti-monopolists.  At  the  election  held  the  year  before  W.  R. 
Marshall  and  William  Dugas  were  elected  to  the  house,  and 
John  Rollins  to  the  council.  Captain  Rollins  held  his  seat 
for  two  years.  Citizens  at  the  falls  are  greatly  indebted  to 
Governor  Marshall  for  his  services  in  securing  the  seat  of  the 
university  in  their  midst.  He  was  at  that  time  a  prominent 
citizen  here  and,  in  company  with  his  brother  Joseph  M. 
Marshall,  now  of  Colorado,  had  a  general-store.  For  valuable 
services  in  both  an  official  and  a  private  capacity  St.  Anthony 
cannot  be  too  grateful  to  Governor  Marshall.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1854  to  Miss  Abby  Langford,  a  daughter  of  a  promi- 
nent citizen  of  Utica,  New  York.  He  has  resided  in  St.  Paul 
since  1852. 

GEOLOGICAL   SURVEY. 

Among  the  interesting  events  of  the  previous  year  was  the 
arrival  of  Dr.   David  Dale  Owen    and  Dr.  Norwood  who, 


\n  i 


!-1- 


»«imiirt>HMl 


94 


PEUSONAL    KECOLLECTION8 


under  the  auspices  of  the  United  States  government,  made  a 
very  thorough  geological  survey  of  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  falls.  They  camped  on  the  west  bank  of  th«  river  for 
more  than  a  week.  About  tlie  same  time  General  Pope,  then 
lieutenant  in  the  toixigraphical  corps  of  engineers,  took  the 
latitxido  and  longitude  of  the  falls.  The  former  is  near  45 
degrees  north.  All  of  these  distinguishcnl  men  were  favorably 
impressed  with  the  great  jwssibilities  of  the  future  in  regard 
to  the  water-power.  They  agreed  that  when  the  water  was 
controlled  by  the  propter  improvements,  that  a  large  indus- 
trial city  woiild  exist  in  the  neighborhood.  General  Pope 
acted  upon  this  belief  by  purcliasing,  through  a  second  party, 
several  lots  in  St.  Anthony. 


THE    LUMBER   TRADE. 

Large  preparations  were  made  during  the  summer  and  early 
fall  for  lumber  operations  during  the  winter  in  the  Rum  river 
pineries.  Owing  to  the  bad-faith  of  Hole-in-the-day,  the 
Chippewa  chief,  logging  whicli  had  been  prosecuted  the  pre- 
vious winter  by  Joseph  11.  Brown  on  tme  of  the  tributaries  of 
the  upper  Mississippi,  was  abandoned,  and  the  cut  necessary 
for  the  consumption  of  the  mills  was  confined  exclusively  to 
the  pi  le  on  the  two  forks  of  Rum  river.  In  addition  to  the 
logs  recpired  at  the  falls  others  were  in  demand  for  a  steam- 
sawmill  that  had  been  projected  at  St.  Paul  by  the  fur  com- 
pany. This  encouraged  the  lumbermen  who  had  mostly  left 
that  business  in  Maine  and  emigrated  to  this  new  region,  to 
re-embark  in  the  same  enterprise.  They  observed  the  same 
rules  and  habits  here,  in  regard  to  that  industry  that  were 
practiced  in  the  east.  As  they  had  served  an  apprenticeship 
to  the  lumber  business,  their  experience  gave  them  great 
advantage  over  western  men,  who  in  some  instances  attempted 
to  cut  logs  in  the  Rum  river  ijineries.  The  former  frequently 
made  money  ;  the  latter  seldom,  if  ever. 

VISITORS  AND  IMMIGRANTS. 

During  the  beautiful  axitumn  weather  there  were  numbers 
of  visitors  to  the  falls.  Many  were  from  the  lower  country  ; 
others  from  St.  Paul,  Stillwater,  and  Fort  Snelling.     Among 


OF   MINNESOTA  AND  ITS   I'KOPLE. 


'.)5 


those  who  Hi)ent  several  weeks  with  ws  was  Miss  Harriet  E. 
Bishop  of  St.  Paul.  This  lady,  a  native  of  Vermont,  was  one 
of  the  pioneer  schtxil-teat'liers  in  the  territory.  She  accom- 
Ijaniwl  (irovernor  Shulc,  a  noted  philanthroi)ist  of  that  day, 
with  H«n'(>ral  other  teachers  from  her  native  stat(>,  to  the  west, 
for  the  })urposo  of  tt^aching,  and  improving  the  moral  condi- 
tion of  the  i)eoi)l(\  Only  three  of  those  ladies  reached  this 
territory  ;  the  othei-s  were  distributed  at  diiferent  places  east 
of  us  where  their  valuable  aid  was  jnore  necessary  than  here  ; 
for  the  reason  that  there  were  scarcely  enoiigh  children  in  the 
whole  territory,  in  convenient  school-districts,  to  warrant  the 
services  of  more  than  three  teachers.  The  country  was 
sparsely  settled  at  best,  and  more  than  half  the  settlers  were 
bachelors,  or  recently  married  persons  who  did  not  have 
children  old  enough  to  attend  school.  This  was  before  the 
immigration  of  those  who  had  large  families. 


^H :  i 


MANNER   OF   COLONIZINO. 


In  subsecpient  years,  so  rapidly  did  the  coiintry  settle  up, 
it  was  not  an  uncommon  I'vent  for  settlers,  with  a  number  of 
boys  and  girls,  to  occujjy  every  quarter  section  of  land  in  a 
township,  and  throe  or  four  school-districts  would  bo  organ- 
ized, and  rude  school-houses  would  be  built  and  occupied  by 
teachers  and  pupils  where,  the  year  before,  there  was  not  a 
farm  opened  for  many  miles  from  them. 

In  some  instances  a  colony  was  made  up  in  the  east ;  an 
advance  member  of  it  was  sent  to  examine  the  country  and 
select  a  favorable  portion  of  it  for  the  colony  which  would 
follow  on  advices  received  from  him,  bringing  with  them  not 
only  a  teacher  for  their  school,  but  their  minister  of  the 
gospel.  A  colony  from  Angelica,  N.  Y.,  came  out  in  this 
way.  They  arrived  in  June,  in  time  to  secure  sufficient  hay 
for  their  stock  which  they  brought  with  them.  They  lived 
during  the  time  in  their  prairie-schooners,  which  were  cov- 
ered with  canvas  in  such  manner  as  to  protect  the  inmates 
from  the  rain.  After  securing  their  hay,  and  starting  the 
prairie-plows,  they  all  joined  hands  and  helped  one  another  ; 
put  up  a  good  log  or  frame  house  on  every  claim,  and  then 
built  their  school-house  at  some  convenient  point,  and  started 


» 


,*. 


96 


I'KllSOXA L   ItECOLLECTIONH 


a  churf'h-builcling.  In  n  few  weeks  they  were  comfortably 
settled,  tL(»  Hchool  was  in  operation,  their  preaeher  occupied 
the  puli^it,  and  a  Hingixig-school  and  lyceuni  was  organized. 
The  young  men  went  home  with  the  girls  after  these  gather- 
ings ;  everything  just  as  stable  and  as  jwrnianent  as  if  they 
had  lived  on  their  farms  for  years,  instead  of  only  months. 
This  could  hardly  have  occurred  without  the  aid  of  the  old 
preemption  law,  which  gave  the  settler  a  year  after  settlement 
to  pay  for  his  land,  and  confined  him  to  a  quarter  section. 
The  wise  i)rovisions  of  this  law  caused  nearly  every  (quarter 
section  of  land  to  be  owned  by  an  actual  occupant,  and  that 
is  the  reason  that  the  state  became  so  thickly  inhabited. 

THE   PIONEER    HCHOOL-TEACHER. 

Miss  Harriet  E.  Bishop  accomplished  a  good  work  in  Min- 
nesota. No  lady  here  was  more  widely  known  and  respected. 
Her  marriage,  which  occurred  late  in  life,  was  not  a  happy 
one.  She  died  in  St.  Paul  several  years  since.  Her  memory 
will  ever  be  cherished  by  those  who  had  the  pleasure  of  her 
acquaintance. 

A  visitor's  opinion  of  the  falls. 

Dr.  Ashmead,  a  noted  physician  of  Philadelphia,  spent 
several  days  in  making  a  geological  survey  at  the  falls.  He 
expressed  a  fear  that,  at  some  future  day,  the  falls  would 
recede  to  such  an  extent  as  to  seriously  injure  the  water- 
power,  unless  measures  were  taken  to  protect  them.  He  said 
the  ingenuity  of  man  could  readily  devise  such  protection  iu 
a  manner  that  would  be  permanent. 

buffalo-hunting. 


On  the  14th  of  November  two  British  officers  of  high  rank 
in  the  Queen's  Guards,  noblemen,  arrived  from  an  extended 
buffalo-hunt  on  the  northern  plains.  Their  names  were 
Wooley  and  Coke.  They  had  been  successful  in  the  chase, 
and  were  highly  delighted  with  the  appearance  of  the  falls. 
Colonel  "VVooley  thought  the  prairies  west  of  the  big  woods 
would  rival  the  steppes  of  Russia  in  the  production  of  wheat. 


CHAPTER  XYII. 


A  NON-PABTISAN   LEGISLATURE. 


ui 


•ank 
ded 


As  the  time  approached  for  the  meeting  of  the  legislature 
of  the  territory,  much  interest  was  manifested  i?^  regard  to  its 
organization.  By  law  the  session  was  to  be  opened  on 
Wednesday,  January  1st,  1851.  As  there  was  no  politics  in 
the  choice  of  delegates,  so  there  were  scarcely  any  principles 
involved,  only  personal  preferences,  in  the  election  of  officers 
of  the  legislature.  The  choice  of  a  public  printer  seemed  the 
most  important.  After  an  exciting  cmitest  James  M.  Good- 
hue was  elected  to  that  office. 

A  JOURNEY   TO  WASHINGTON. 

On  the  20th  of  January  I  was  surprised  by  a  visit  at  my 
home  from  a  committee  of  whig  members  of  the  council  and 
house,  requesting  me  to  proceed  at  once  to  "Washington  and 
co-operate  with  Hon.  H.  H.  Sibley,  the  territorial  delegate  in 
congress,  in  matters  in  which  they  were  interested.  Reluc- 
tantly I  consented  to  make  the  journey.  Receiving  f :  ora 
Governor  Ramsey  and  others  letters  of  introduction  to  the 
President  and  members  of  the  Cabinet,  I  made  preparations 
for  the  tedious  journey.  There  wore  no  stages  in  this  part  of 
the  country  at  that  time.  At  Mendota  I  hired  a  French- 
Canadian  voyageur  by  the  name  of  St.  Martin,  who  had  a 
good  horse  and  train,  to  convey  me  down  the  Mississippi  on 
the  ice  as  far  as  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  I  coidd  meet  a  line 
of  stages  for  Galena.    With  plenty  of  blankets  and  robes  we 


•r 


|i:''    I.  ' 


I'EHHONAI.    lti:('OLLKCTlON8 


left  Fort  Siiellingon  tlie  22(1,  the  mercury  nenrly  forty  degrees 
below  zero, 

A  winter  joximey  down  the  river  on  the  ice,  at  thnt  dny, 
through  tin  almoHt  \nil)rokeu  wilderneHs,  wuh  not  ft  pleasant 
one.  We  endeavored  to  make  each  day's  jouniey  to  ft  wood- 
choppers'  camp,  or  a  nettlement,  but  in  tliiw  we  were  not 
always  successful,  and  sometimes  had  t»>  camp  out.  The  voy- 
Bgeur  was  thoroiighly  acipiainted  with  the  route,  having  for 
many  years  traveled  over  it  for  tiie  fur  company.  He  claimed 
to  know  where  air-holes  in  the  ice  were  liable  to  l)e  and,  in 
most  instances,  he  drove  around  them  ;  but  twice  during  this 
trip  he  drove  into  one. 

Everyone  who  passed  over  the  route  expected  to  drive 
into  these  open-places  several  times.  All  went  prepared. 
The  preparation  was  simi)le  ;  it  consisted  of  a  rope  with  a 
noose  at  one  end  which  was  constantly  around  the  horse's 
neck,  the  other  end  being  attached  to  the  train.  When  a 
horse  fell  into  an  air-hole  the  rope  was  drawn  tightly,  which 
woidd  choke  and  inflate  the  animal  and  cause  it  to  rise  like  a 
cork.  As  the  air-holes  were  generally  small,  it  was  seldom 
that  the  train  went  into  them.  The  harness  was  attach  to 
the  horse  in  such  fi  way  that  it  could  be  cpiickly  remove 

The  tirst  night  l)rought  us  to  Point  Douglas,  wheie  we 
found  comfortable  quarters.  In  passing  Grey  Cloud  island 
we  saw  one  of  the  primitive  farms  of  Minnesota,  that  of 
Hazen  Moore  and  Andrew  Robertson,  who  had  in  1839  tifty 
acres  under  cultivation.  A  little  further  down  the  river, 
where  Hastings  now  is,  Joseph  R.  Brown  had  in  1831  a  field 
of  twenty-five  acres  of  wheat,  which  was  the  first  crop  of 
wheat  raised  in  Minnesota. 

Speaking  of  early  farming  in  the  territory,  it  may  be  well 
to  state  here  that  Joseph  Haskell  and  J.  S.  N  orris  commenced 
farming  back  of  Gvey  Cloud  as  early  as  1839,  and  Major 
Brown  opened  a  farm  at  Traverse,  near  the  head  oi  Red  river, 
and  raised  a  fine  crop  of  wheat  in  1836.  He  was  also  the 
pioneer  in  raising  tame  grasses,  having  introduced  timothy  on 
his  farm  as  early  as  1831. 

Leaving  Point  Douglas  at  daylight  the  next  morning,  we 
made  Red  Wing  a  resting-place,  and  were  entertained  by 
John  Bush,  the  Indian  farmer  for  Wacouta's  band.     Mr. 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND   ITS   I'KOPLE. 


ell 
led 
jor 
ter, 
Ihe 
lou 

Ivre 
Iby 


Bush  came  to  Fort  Snelliug  in  lH*2o.     He  lins  reHided  at  St. 
Peter  Bince  18(14,  and  is  die  oldest  white  resident  in  the  state. 

Tlie  ride  down  liake  Pepin  on  the  snio<jth  ice  was  tlie  least 
disagreeable  part  of  the  journey.  ^Ve  remained  over  nifj;ht 
at  James  Wells'  ( long  an  Indian  trader  )  where  we  had  for  a 
room-mate  my  friend  (io(kI  Koad,  chief  of  the  Oak  Grove 
band  of  Dakotas.  He  was  visiting  his  relatives  on  thi^l)auks 
of  the  lake.  M  r.  Wells  had  long  been  a  resident  of  Minnesota. 
His  wift»  was  the  daughter  of  another  trader,  Duncan  Graham. 
Mr.  Wells  represented  the  lower  country  in  the  territorial 
legislature.  He  was  killed  by  the  Indians  in  the  massacre  at 
Bed  Wood,  in  August,  1802. 

The  nt^xt  place  that  offered  comfortable  quarters  was  at 
Bunnell's,  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  M'".  Bunnell  was  an 
early  resident,  and  furnished  wood  to  the  steandwats. 

There  were  n  few  cabins  where  Winona  stands  to-day.  At 
La  Crosse  there  was  a  g(HKl  liotel.  From  there  to  Prairie  du 
Chien  we  got  along  very  well.  Here  I  took  the  stage  for 
Galena,  where  I  was  joined  by  others  and  took  the  familiar 
stage  for  Chicago.  Ours  was  a  jolly  party,  fully  determined 
not  to  complain  at  whatever  might  happen.  Cold  coffee, 
hard  brown-bread,  scorched  bacon,  scant  straw  on  the  floor  of 
the  conch,  too  few  blankets  and  robes,  slow  jirogress,  capsizes, 
cold  e  ipi)ing-places,  uncomfortable  seats  at  the  dinner-tables, 
and  poor  horses  ;  such  trifles  were  made  the  best  of,  and  we 
wen  thankful  to  escape  broken  limbs,  frost-marks,  and  seri- 
ous bruises. 

Upon  reaching  Chicago  the  party  init  aside  their  heavy 
furs,  and  took  the  Michigan  Central  railroad  for  Detroit, 
from  there  to  make  a  long  and  tedious  stage-ride  through 
Cauiula  ;  thence  from  Niagara  to  New  York  by  rail  was  a  luxury 
to  western  men.  I  was  just  fourteen  days  from  Fort  Snelling 
to  New  York,  which  was  considered  remarkably  rapid  transit. 

At  Lovejoy's  hotel  iuNew  York  (which  was  headquarters 
for  most  western  men  )  I  met  Simeon  P.  Folsoni  of  St.  Paul, 
also  en  route  for  Washington,  to  which  place  we  proceeded. 

Arriving  after  dark  at  the  city  of  magnificent  distances, 
we  jmt  up  at  the  United  States  hotel,  and  immediately  called 
ujion  Mr.  Sibley  who,  with  his  wife,  was  living  near  the  hotel 
with  the  family  of  Senat<jr  Foote  of  Mississippi.     Mr.  Sibley 


100 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


mnde  an  appointment  with  us  to  call  the  next  day  on  the  Sec- 
retary of  State,  Ron.  Daniel  Webster.  At  the  breakfast-table 
next  morning  we  had  for  neighbors  Howell  Cobb,  of  Georgia, 
who  was  speaker  of  the  house  of  representatives,  Alexander 
Stei)hens,  and  Robert  Toombs,  members  of  f  ingress  from  the 
same  state,  David  Wilmott,  member  of  congress  from  Penn- 
sylvania, and  others  whose  names  were  known  all  over  the 
country.  Mr.  Folsom  and  myself  became  somewhat  ac- 
quainted with  these  men  whose  names  are  here  mentioned, 
some  of  whom  became  prominent  in  the  so-called  confederate 
states. 

Minnesota  in  those  days  was  looked  upon  by  many  members 
of  congress  as  a  howling  wilderness,  which  wouM  always  be 
the  home  of  Indians,  wild  fowls,  and  wild  beasts.  Mr.  Sibley, 
Governor  Ramsey,  David  Cooper,  Henry  M.  Rice,  and  Frank- 
lin Steele  had  succeeded  to  some  extent  in  counteracting  those 
false  impressions,  and  substituting  correct  ideas  in  their  place. 

AN   INTERVIEW   WITH    DANIEL   WEBSTER. 


At  the  appointed  hour,  11  o'clock  A.  M.,  Mr.  Sibley  called 
at  the  hotel  for  Mr.  Folsom  and  myself  to  accomi)any  him  to 
the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State.  Arriving  at  the  ante- 
room, we  found  it  full  of  senators  and  representatives  awaiting 
an  interview  with  the  Secretary.  Mr.  Sibley  introduced  us 
to  many  of  them  and  to  the  president  of  the  senate.  In  the 
meantime  he  had  sent  his  name  to  the  Secretary.  Soon  a 
colored  boy  came  from  the  private  office  and  in  a  Id  ad  voice 
annoimced  "Mr.  Sibley,  delegate  in  congress  from  Minnesota". 
Asking  Mr.  Folsom  and  myself  to  follow  him,  Mr.  Sibley  led 
the  way,  and  passing  through  the  door,  we  stood  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  "Great  Expounder  of  the  Constitution".  Mr. 
Webster  arose  from  his  seat  behind  a  long  table,  cordially 
shook  hands  witli  Mr.  Sibley,  and  turned  his  face  upon  Mr. 
Folsom  and  myself.  His  very  looks  struck  us  with  awe. 
Those  deej)  black  eyes  seemed  to  penetrate  us  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  cause  us  to  be  almost  speechless.  Mr.  Sibley  im- 
mediately introduced  us.  "  Folsom,  Stevens,"  he  said,  "  these 
are  New-England  names."  Mr.  Folsom  rejjlied  that  his 
father  was  born  in  New  Hampshire.     I  added  that  my  father 


pi  .1 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


101 


and  motlier  wore  natives  of  Vermont.  "Oil !"  ho  replied,  "I 
thought  HO."  He  Hpok  >  of  Captjiiu  Stevens,  who  had  taken  a 
prominent  part  in  the  Kinfj;  Philip  war,  and  after  rendering 
a  tribute  to  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  asked  Mr.  Sibley  if  Minnesota 
was  really  to  be  the  New  England  of  the  west.  Mr.  Sibley 
rei)lied  that  the  territt)ry  had  all  the  characteristics  of  New 
England,  but  the  soil  and  climate  were  siiperior  to  it.  "  Well, 
then,"  said  Mr.  Webster,  "  it  is  i)roper  *^at  it  shoidd  be  set- 
tled by  New  England  people."  I  then  handed  him  my  let- 
ters of  introduction.  The  one  from  Governor  Ramsey 
seemed  to  jilease  him  most.  He  said  he  was  much  pleased  to 
hear  from  him.  He  had  thought  that  transferring  his  home 
from  the  fertile  fields  of  Pennsylvania  to  the  northwest  would 
be  distasteful  to  him. 

By  this  time  my  (Mubarrassment  iad  worn  away.  Mr. 
Webster  asked  what  he  could  do  fo-.  us.  We  informed  him 
of  the  object  of  our  visit,  in  behalf  of  th(>  whig  members  of 
the  legislature  of  the  territory.  He  listeneil  attentively  while 
I  nuuh'  tlu^  statement.  AVithout  a  moment's  hesitation  he 
replied,  "  Your  reipu-st  shall  be  granted."  Among  the  i)apers 
that  I  ])resented  was  one  recommi  nding  Joseph  W.  Furber 
for  the  vacant  United  States  marshalship  for  th(^  territory. 
"  AVhy,"  he  said,  "  here  is  another  New  England  name."  I 
replied  that  Mr.  Furber  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire. 
Mr.  Webster  said  that  Mr.  Furber's  name  woidd  be  sent  to 
the  senate  the  next  day  for  confirmatio7i.  When  we  had 
finished  our  business  with  him  and  were  abt)ut  t(3  leave,  he 
added,  "  Please  remember  me  kindly  to  Governor  Ramsey, 
and  convey  to  the  gentlemen  whose  signatures  are  attached 
to  this  pai)er  ( holding  lij)  a  paper  I  had  given  him)  the 
assiiranc»^  that  there  will  not  be,  at  least  at  ])resent,  any  change 
made  in  the  Federal  apj)ointments  in  your  territory." 


STATESMEN   OF   FOUTV    YEAllS   AGO. 


Wc  called  upon  Mr.  Cluirles  Conrad,  of  Loiiisiana,  Secretary 
of  War,  in  regard  to  the  sutlership  at  Fort  Snelling,  and  left 
with  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  there  would  be  no  change 
of  sutler  at  the  fort. 

Having  matters  to  lay  before  Mr.  Thomas  Corwiu,  Secretary 


L->y.„,^_^.-._ 


102 


PERSONAL    ItECOLLECTIONH 


of  the  Treasiiry,  Mr.  Stewart,  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  and 
the  Attorney-General,  all  of  which  business  was  transacted  in 
the  mosu  satisfactory  maimer,  we  awaited  further  advices  from 
St.  Paul,  remaining  in  AVashington  several  weeks. 

We  heard  Henry  Clay,  Stephen  A.  Dcmglas,  Gen.  Sam  Hous- 
ton and  Gen.  Rusk  of  Texas,  Bell  of  Tennessee,  Mangum  of 
North  Carolina,  Butler  of  South  ('arolina,  Bentoii  of  Mo.,  and 
other  great  men,  speak  in  the  Senate  ;  and  Robt.  Toombs,  Alex- 
ander Stephens,  Howell  Cobb  of  Georgia,  David  Wilniott  of 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  several  other  able  men  in  tlie  House, 
including  tmr  own  delegate,  Mr.  Sibley. 

Dxiring  my  stay  in  Washington  Mr.  Clay's  compromise 
measures  in  relation  to  slaveiy,  were  under  discussion  in  both 
houses.  In  matters  pertaining  to  our  mission,  much  aid  and 
encouragement  were  given  by  the  venerable  senator  from  Wis- 
consin, General  Henry  Dodge,  and  Hon.  O.  Cole,  member  of 
congress  from  the  same  state. 

Mr.  Folsom  and  I  have  always  considered  it  one  of  the 
happiest  events  of  our  lives  that  we  were  enabled  to  see  and 
become  partially  accpiainted  with  many  of  these  g^-eat  states- 
men who  participated  in  the  stirring  events  caused  by  the 
slavery  agitation  of  nearly  forty  years  ago. 

By  the  25th  of  February  our  business  was  tinished  and  we 
returned  to  New  York,  where  I  purchased  goods  for  the 
siitler's  store  at  Fort  Snelling,  and  for  a  store  to  be  opened  in 
St.  Anthony.  These  goods  had  to  be  shipped  by  sea  to  New 
Orleans,  and  thence  ui>  the  Mississippi  by  steamboat  to  Fort 
Snelling.  It  re([uii*ed  at  least  sixty  days  for  their  transpor- 
tation from  New  York  to  Fort  S>  el  ling.  I  do  not  know  that 
the  cost  of  transportation  was  m  ich  higher  then  than  now. 

HOMEW.VIJD. 


The  journey  home  was  attt  '.(led  with  many  difficulties.  I 
left  New- York  on  the  lOtli  of  Marcli  and  ariived  in  Minne- 
apolis on  the  4th  of  April,  making  just  twenty-four  days  on 
the  roatl.  The  lakes  were  blocked  with  ice,  the  roads  were 
almost  impassable,  and  a  flood  had  swept  the  bridges  away. 
Some  i)art  of  the  journey  was  made  on  horseback,  other  j)or- 
tions  on  foot,  or  in  a  lumber-wagon. 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND   ITS    I'KOPLE. 


103 


At  Galena  I  pu  .chased  for  tlie  wlii,t,'s  of  Minnesota  an 
entire  outfit  for  a  printing-office,  to  be  shipped  on  the  first 
steamer  from  that  place.  The  good  old  Minnesotian,  a  pajjer 
of  rare  merit,  was  afterwards  i)riated  with  this  material,  by 
John  P.  Owens,  John  0.  Terry,  and  George  AV.  Moore. 

Calculating  that  I  could  reach  home  in  a  week  by  land, 
via  Judge  Wyman  Knowlton"s  new  route  from  Prairie  du 
Chien  to  St.  Paul,  I  took  the  stage  at  Galena  for  the  former 
place,  arriving  there  in  time  to  take  the  weekly  one-horse 
turn-out  that  carried  the  mail  through  the  woods  by  way  of 
Bad-Axe,  Springville,  Black  River  Falls,  Clearwater  (now 
Eau  Clare),  Knapp's  Mills,  Eivni-  Falls  and  Hudson,  to  St. 
Paul.  This  jouniey  was  attended  with  more  difficulty  than 
any  I  ever  mad<\  At  Beef  river,  about  10  o'clock  at  night, 
we  were  overtaken  by  the  severest  tluinder-storm  I  ever 
experienced.  It  rained  and  hailed  and  rained  again  until  the 
whole  country  was  flooded.  There  were  no  houses  or  cabins 
for  miles.  My  hat  was  almost  destroyed  by  the  hail.  We 
fortunately  got  the  horses  under  a  big  j)ine  tree,  the  branches 
of  which  prevented  them  from  being  killed  by  the  dreadful 
hail.  After  shivering  all  night  we  got  an  early  start  in 
the  morning,  and  just  after  daylight  ran  into  a  drove  of 
some  thirty  or  forty  elk.  They  seemed  to  have  been  so  fright- 
ened by  the  stcn-m  as  to  flee  to  us  for  ])rotection.  The  guns 
in  the  party  were  so  drenched  by  the  rain  as  to  be  useless. 
The  elk  followed  us  for  a  time  and  then  disa])p(^are(l.  Thoy 
were  so  ta'ne  we  thought  they  might  have  escaped  from  a 
park  belonging  to  a  hermit  whose  cabin  was  between  the 
head  of  Beef  river  and  Black  river.  The  renuiiuder  of  the 
journey  was  attended  with  more  comfort,  but  I  was  much 
chagrined  on  waking  up  the  next  morning  after  my  arrival 
home  to  learn  from  a  passenger  that  a  steamboat  had 
arrived  at  St.  Paul  during  the  night.  The  boat  had  only  left 
Galena  three  days  previous,  and  I  had  been  so  long  on  the  way. 


iliiiiia^! 


CHAPTEK  XVIII. 

AGAIN   IN  MINNEAPOLIS. 

On  my  return  to  what  is  now  Minneapolis,  I  found  that 
during  tlie  winter  great  i)reparation8  had  been  made  for 
building  in  St.  Anthony.  Not  to  be  behind  in  the  good  work, 
Mr.  Steele  and  myself  determined  to  erect  a  small  block,  the 
lower  part  to  consist  of  three  stores,  the  second-story  to  be 
for  offices,  and  the  upper  part  to  be  for  a  hall.  We  secured 
the  services  of  Joseph  Dean,  to  superintend  the  work.  Wil- 
liam Worthingham  and  A.  N.  Hoyt  completed  the  masonry, 
and  by  August  the  block  was  finished  and  occupied  entire. 

THE    FIKST    WHITE    CHILi)    BOltN   IN  WHAT  IS  NOW  MINNEAPOLIS. 

Meantime  an  eventoccurred  of  great  moment  to  me  and  mine, 
and  of  some  historical  importance  to  others.  The  morning 
of  the  30tli  of  April,  1851,  was  the  coldest  for  the  time  of  the 
year  ever  known  in  the  coimtry.  The  wind  was  blowing  from 
the  north  like  a  hurricane.  The  air  was  full  of  snow.  The 
river  was  bank-full,  and  the  waves  were  high.  It  was  deemed 
almost  impossible  to  cross  the  river,  either  in  a  batteau,  skiif, 
or  canoe.  It  was  necessary  that  I  should  have  communica- 
tion with  St.  Anthony,  for  the  services  of  Dr.  Murphy,  who 
resided  there,  w^-re  required  in  my  family.  The  aid  of  three 
as  good  boativ.en  as  ever  swung  an  oar,  with  Captain  Tapper 
at  their  liPtul,  was  secured.  The  question  was  anxiously 
discussed,  "Can  any  w ater-craf t  at  our  command  withstand 
the  fierce  wind,  high  waves,  and  swift  current  ?"  Captain 
Tapper  thought  our  large  l)atteau  would  weather  the  storm, 


1 
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Mm 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS    PEOPLE. 


106 


but  we  were  short  of  hands.  Fortunately  Kev.  C.  A.  New- 
comb,  of  the  Methodist  church  on  the  east  side,  joined  us. 
He  had  remained  over  night  with  my  only  neighbor,  Calvin 
A.  Tuttle,  who  had  moved  into  the  old  government  dwelling- 
house,  near  the  i)reHent  site  of  the  Palisade  mill,  only  two 
days  before.  The  water-craft  was  towed  up  the  river  in  the 
face  of  the  wind  to  a  point  above  Nicollet  island  in  order  to 
make  the  landing  on  the  east  side  abovci  that  island.  With 
much  difficulty  and  some  danger  the  crossing  was  made  and 
they  safely  returned  with  Dr.  Murjjhy.  About  noon  on  that 
bleak,  cold,  eventful  day,  my  first  child,  and  the  first-born 
white  child  on  the  west  bank  at  the  falls,  a  little  girl-baby, 
was  added  to  my  hapi)y  household.  The  little  one  was  called 
Mary,  a  favorite  name  in  the  family.  She  lived  to  bloom 
into  beautiful  womanhood.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  she  gently 
crossed  the  river  of  life,  and  we  tenderly  laid  her  loved  form 
to  rest,  and  it  quietly  sleeps  in  Lakewood.  The  sun  has  never 
shone  so  brightly  in  oiir  household  since  her  departure. 

FIllST   HOY   liOHN   ON   THE   WEST   SIDE. 

Another  interesting  event,  of  like  character,  occurred  on 
this  side  of  the  river,  in  the  family  of  my  new  and  only 
neighbor,  Mr.  Tuttle,  jiist  one  week  after  the  birth  of  my 
little  daughter.  A  boy-baby  made  his  ajjpearance  there. 
He  too,  just  as  he  reached  vigorous  manhood,  crossed  the 
silent  river  from  which  there  is  no  return.  He  was  the  second 
white  child  born  at  the  west  bank  of  the  falls.  Up  to  this 
time  there  had  been  two  births  in  the  two  families  on  the  west 
side.  There  had  been  one  death,  that  of  an  infant,  in  the 
family  of  Mr.  Bean  who  resided  for  a  short  time  in  the  old 
government  mill  in  the  spring  of  1850. 

Mr.  Newcomb,  mentioned  above,  went  to  Missouri,  became 
a  colonel  in  the  I'^nion  army  during  the  civil  war,  represented 
his  adopted  state  in  c^r^j^ress,  and  was  also  U.  S.  marshal  of 
Missouri. 

Our  mail  on  this  side  of  the  river  came  to  Fort  Snelling  ; 
that  for  the  east  side  came  to  St.  Paul.  Mr.  Sibley  succeeded 
in  getting  a  postoffice  established  in  St.  Anthony,  Ard  God- 
frey appointed  postmaster,  with  Joseph  McAlpine  as  deputy, 


'\\i:n 


106 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


and  a  weekly  mail  service  from  St.  Paul.     The  people  were 
then  very  well  satistied  with  their  mail  facilities. 

INDUSTRIES   ON   THE    EAST    SIDE. 

In  the  spring  of  1851  Al'  aren  Allen,  from  Whitewater, 
Wisconsin,  arrived  with  a  few  horses  and  carriages,  which  he 
was  constantly  solicited  to  loan  at  good  ])rices,  and  almost 
unconsciously  he  found  himself  in  the  li\ery-stable  and  stage 
business  on  the  east  side. 

Charles  T.  Stearns,  a  native  of  the  Berkshire  hills  in  the 
old  Bay  state,  came  down  from  Fort  Gaines,  where  he  had 
been  employed  in  the  coiistruction  of  that  fortress,  and  in 
company  with  Charles  Manseur,  just  from  the  lower  country, 
started  a  cabinet  numufactory.  Immigration  was  pouring  in, 
and  household  furniture  was  in  demand.  In  the  absence  of 
seasoned  lumber  the  material  used  was  fretjiiently  just  as  it 
ran  through  the  saws,  full  of  sap  and  soaked  in  river  water. 

Among  the  industries  started  which  were  the  nucleus  of  the 
present  mammoth  manufacturing  establishments  of  the  i)res- 
ent  day,  was  a  carriage-factory  by  George  F.  Br  '^t,  who  came 
"rem  New  York  to  introduce  fancy  sleighs  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  Mr.  Brott  was  successful  in  business,  became  a 
jjolitieian  and  made  free-soil  speeches,  a  land-agent  »>nd 
located  town-sites,  built  mills,  was  sheritf  of  Eamsey  county, 
married  the  daughter  of  Charles  T.  Stearns,  emigrated  to 
New  Orleans,  became  a  i)rincely  merchant,  and  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  AVashington.  Mr.  Brott  is  a  rust^  .^r  in  everything  he 
undertakes. 

Two  blacksmith-sho[)s  were  established  this  year,  and  A. 
M.  Macfarland  from  New  Brunswick  opened  a  shoe-store. 
Mr.  William  Spoontu-  from  Sherbrooke,  Canada,  oj)ened  a 
harness  and  saddle  business.  Being  an  experienced  work- 
man of  industrious  habits,  he  soon  built  up  a  good  trade. 
Mr.  Spooncr  became  a  real-estate  dealer.  Very  few  of  his 
acquaintances  in  after  years  knew  he  was  the  first  harness- 
maker  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony. 

There  was  a  great  fascination  about  the  real -estate  business 
Men  of  almost  every  trade,  to  which  they  had  served  an 
api)rentice8hip,  abandoned  their  business  to  engage  in  buy- 


88- 

ess 
an 


OF   MINNEHOT\   AND   ITS   PKOPLE. 


107 


ing  and  selling  real-estate.  The  crisis  of  1857  tiuaiieially 
ruined  many  of  them.  If  they  had  remained  in  their  former 
Lusiness  they  wonld  not  [)robal)ly  have  been  seriously  affected. 

THE    ST.    ANTHONY    EXPHE8S, 

Elmer  Tyler  had  come  to  St.  Anthony  from  Chicago  and 
opened  a  merchant-taihu'ing  establishment.  Having  consid- 
erable capital,  he  speculated  in  town-lots.  On  the  vUst  of 
May,  1851,  he  introduced  to  the  public  the  St.  Anthony 
Express,  an  eight-colunm  folio  weekly  ne\vsi)a])er,  neatly 
printed  with  new  material  purchased  in  Chicago.  Isaac 
Atwater,  who  came  to  St.  Anthony  fnnu  New  York  City  the 
previous  October,  was  the  editor.  While  in  Chicago  Mr. 
Tyler  engaged  the  services  of  Mr.  H.  Woodbury  and  l)rother, 
two  as  good  practical  printers  as  could  be  found  in  that  city, 
to  take  charge  of  the  mechanical  department  of  the  office. 
The  result  was  that  the  paper  had  a  metropolitan  appearance 
from  its  first  issue.  When  we  consider  that  at  that  time  St. 
Anthony  had  not  to  exceed  a  popxilation  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  souls,  and  at  least  one  hundred  of  that  )iumber  were 
lumbermen  employed  in  the  woods  a  good  jwrtion  of  the 
year,  it  must  be  admitted  that  Mr.  Tyler  had  a  good  deal  of 
nioi'al  couragi'  to  undertake  such  a  hazardous  enterjjrise. 
Aside  from  this,  St.  Anthony  belonged  to  Ramsey  county, 
and  in  St.  Paul  there  were  several  papers  already  in  existence. 
Mr.  Atwater's  able  ])en,  with  the  aid  of  that  of  Shelton  Hol- 
lister,  just  from  Yale,  made  the  Express  second  in  influence 
to  no  paper  west  of  Chicago.  The  ijatronage  of  the  town 
placed  it  on  a  i)aying  basis  from  J:he  start.  In  those  days 
Judge  Atwater  was  a  whig,  and  the  Express  was  a  whig  sheet, 
and  a  strong  supi)orter  of  the  Fillmore  administrati(m.  The 
paper  continued  to  be  issued  by  difi'erent  i)X'oi)rietors,  mana- 
gers and  editors,  iintil  the  sin-ing  of  1861,  when  it  was  dis- 
continued, and  the  material  sold  and  distributed  among  dif- 
ferent newspaper  offices  in  the  state. 

The  village  now  had  representatives  of  most  of  the  trades. 
Mr.  Henry  Fowler,  Avith  a  large  family,  from  one  of  the  pro- 
vincial cities  in  England,  opened  a  clock  and  watchmaker's 
establishment. 


Um 

It.T 


108 


PERSONAL    llECOLLECTIONS 


At  this  enrly  (Lite  the  village  had  four  good  lawyers,  Messrs. 
E.  8.  Hall,  John  W.  North,  Isaac  Atwater,  and  David  A. 
Second )e  ;  three  doctors,  John  H.  Murphy,  Ira  Kingsley,  and 
H.  Fletcher.  These  were  all  the  jjrofessional  men,  aside 
from  the  ministers,  at  that  time  ;  but  they  kept  coming  right 
alon,  . 

FIIJST   CHURCHES. 

In  1849  Father  Ravoux  commenced  the  erection  of  a  frame 
church-lmilding  in  the  u})per  town.  In  the  spring  of  1851 
Kev.  Mr.  Ledow  was  stationed  in  St.  Anthony.  He  was  the 
first  resident  Catholic  missionary  in  the  village,  though  Rev. 
Mr.  Galtier  and  Father  Ravoux  had,  ])revious  to  that  time, 
held  services  in  private  houses.  A  Methodist  church  was 
organized  at  the  east-side  residence  of  ('.  A.  Tuttle  in  1849, 
by  Rev.  Enos  Stephens  of  "Wisconsin.  Rev.  C.  A.  Newcomb 
was  the  resident  pastor  in  the  sj)ring  of  1851. 

Rev.  E.  D.  Neill  of  St.  Paul  i)reached  Tinder  the  auspices 
of  the  Presbytertan  missionary  society  occasionally  during 
1849  and  early  in  1850,  and  in  July,  1850,  Rev.  AVilliam  T. 
"Wheeler,  formerly  a  Congregational  minister  to  Africa,  com- 
menced preaching,  but  was  succeeded  in  1851  by  Rev.  Charles 
Secombe  as  i)astor.  This  was  the  first  Congregational  church 
organized  in  Minnesota.  A  Baptist  church  liad  been  organ- 
ized June  24,  1850,  by  Rev.  J.  P.  Parsons,  formerly  of  the 
lead  mines  near  Galena.  Rev.  W.  C.  Brown  was  the  first 
pastor,  and  occujjied  the  pulpit  in  1851.  In  June  of  this 
year  Rev.  C.  G.  Ames  was  sent  out  from  New  England  as  a 
missionary.  He  belcmg(>d  to  the  Free-will  Baptist  church.  A 
clnxrch  was  organized  October  25th  following  Mr.  Ames's 
advent.  The  first  servii-es  under  the  ausj)ices  of  the  Episcopal 
chiirch  were  held  by  Dr.  Gear  as  early  as  1849,  but  from 
July,  1850,  Rev.  Timothy  "Wilcoxson  held  occasional  services 
until  October  1,  1852,  when  Rev.  J.  S.  Chamberlain  was 
assigned  to  duty.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  diiferent  denom- 
inations of  Christians  had  a  pretty  full  rei)resentatiou  at  this 
early  day. 

STATE  UNIVERSITY. 

On  the  same  day  that  the  Express  made  its  appearance. 
May  31,  an  event  occurred  in  St.  Anthony  of  great  interest  to 


OF    MINNESOTA  AND  ITS   rEOPLE. 


109 


the  j)0()i)le  of  the  territory.  It  was  the  orgnnizntiou  of  the 
bonrd  of  regents  of  the  University  of  Minnesota  ;  the  begin- 
ning of  the  magniticent  sent  of  learning  which  every  Minne- 
sotian  is  so  jvoiid  of  to-(hiy.  The  i-harter  had  been  granted 
at  tlie  previous  h-gislnture.  In  the  distribiUiou  of  the  j)idplic 
buildings  by  that  body  St.  Paul  was  to  have  the  eapitol, 
Stillwater  the  penitentiary,  and  St.  Anthony  the  university. 
The  university  luul  been  granted  several  thousand  aeres  of 
land  by  congress.  A\'illiani  R.  Marshall  has  always  asserted 
that  St.  Anthony  got  the  best  of  tln^  bargain.  The  organiza- 
tion of  the  board  was  as  follows  :  Franklin  Steele,  president ; 
John  W.  North,  treasurer  ;  Isaac  Atwater,  secretary  ;  and 
William  R.  IMarsshall,  librarian.  The  original  members  of 
the  board  selected  by  the  legislature  contained  sui'h  well- 
known  men  as  Henry  H.  Sibley,  Henry  M.  Rice,  Alexander 
Ramsey,  B.  B.  Meeker,  Isaac  Atwater,  William  R.  Marshall, 
(".  K.  Smith,  Franklin  Steele,  and  A.  Van  ^'orhees,  with  John 
W.  North  as  their  attorney. 


STAGES,    IJ0AT8   AND   CARS. 

A  much-needed  service  to  the  traveling  jmblic  was  supplied 
early  this  spring  by  the  establishment  of  a  four-horse  stage- 
line  between  St.  Paul  and  St.  Anthony,  by  two  young  Dien 
by  the  name  of  Patterson  and  Benson.  They'ran  a  Concord- 
coni'h  between  those  points,  going  and  returning  once  in  the 
forenoon,  and  going  and  returning  once  in  the  afternoon. 
The  price  charged  was  hrdf  a  dollar  each  way.  I  do  not  see 
how  any  one  could  possibly  have  foretold  at  that  time  that  in 
a  little  more  than  a  generation  there  would  be  four  or  five 
railroad  companies  running  half-hourly  trains  between 
Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul,  and  other  railroad  trains  several 
times  a  day,  all  fiill  of  passengers,  and  the  traveling  piiblic 
demanding  more  facilities.  Such  a  thing  as  a  railroad  was 
not  thought  of  ;  but  after  several  boats  had  landed  in  lower 
Minneapolis,  the  (piestion  whether  the  future  head  of  naviga- 
tion on  the  Mississippi  would  be  at  St.  Paul  or  at  the  Falls 
of  St.  Anthony  was  a  live  issue  in  those  days.  The  import- 
ance  of  the  navigation  of  the  river  between  those  two  places 
at  that  time  was  considered  so  essential  that  in  discussing  the 


f 


+ 


'^^1 


110 


PEliHONAL    HECOLLECTIONH 


rr.fttter  tlie  iiHunlly  eoiiHervative  i)en  of  Jiidj^o  Atwater  became 
([uite  radical.  Tlie  mnv  jjaperdetrlan'tl  that  when  it  was  once 
Hettlod,  as  it  Hoon  would  lu',  that  St.  Anthony  Falls  is  the 
real  head  of  navigation  on  tho  Mississippi  river,  St.  Paul 
would  retrograde  to  a,  inodtjst  village,  A  lin(>  (tf  boats  did 
establish  the  fact  that  they  <'ould  run  to  the  Falls,  but  the 
result  was  not  so  beneficial  as  every  one  expected.  John  G. 
Lennon  erected  a  commodious  wareluntse  at  the  lower  laud- 
ing on  the  east  side.  Others  built  another  at  Murphy's 
landing  on  the  west  side  ;  but  both  investments  were  unre- 
munerative.  Undcmbtedly  had  navigation  bt>en  considered  a 
necessity,  boats  wotild  long  since  have  landed  at  St.  Anthony 
as  often  as  at  St.  Paul,  but  when  E.  F.  Drake,  in  the  early 
sixties,  built  for  the  St.  Paul  and  Pacific  a  railroad  between 
the  two  j)oint.s,  and  other  roads  followed,  navigation  between 
the  two  points  ceased  to  be  ne^-essary  ;  and  now  a  great  many 
think  it  would  not  i)rove  beneficial. 

TELEGKAPHIC. 

A  strong  attempt  was  made  in  early  summer  to  raise  enough 
money  by  subscription  to  build  a  telegraph-line  from  the 
Falls  to  Galena.  W.  Chute  of  the  last-named  place  canvassed 
all  the  towns  between  the  two  points  and  only  succeeded  in 
gefting  about  $16,000  subscribed.  As  it  would  require  almost 
as  miicli  again  the  enterprise  was  abandoned.  In  1860,  nine 
years  afterwards,  Mr.  Winslow  })ushed  the  line  to  completion. 

THE   FIltST    MANUFACTURES. 

Up  to  this  time  there  had,  with  few  exceptions,  been  only 
lumber  manufactured  at  the  Falls.  James  McMullen,  who 
came  here  in  1849,  diiring  the  following  winter  made  numer- 
ous sleds  and  sleighs,  for  which  he  found  ready  sale.  He 
may  be  properly  classed  as  the  first,  oiitside  of  the  mill  com- 
pany, to  engage  in  manufacturing  at  the  Falls. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  OUTLOOK    IN   THE   8UMMEU   OF   1851. 

Except  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Falls,  in  early 
summer,  the  roar  of  the  cataract  fell  upon  a  pathless  prairie 
for  everything  but  the  Indian  and  the  wild  game  he  pursued, 
but  every  boat  that  landed  at  St.  Paid  brought  those  who 
became  permanent  settlers  of  St.  Anthony  and  its  vicinity. 
The  Express  said  that  it  reqiiired  "  no  very  sagacious  observer 
of  the  change  that  is  taking  place  to  predict  the  future  of  the 
place.  The  imi)ortant  position  which  St.  Anthony  occupies 
must  inevitably  make  her  the  great  manufacturing  and  com- 
mercial town  of  the  northwest." 


THE   SCALIING   RED-SKINS. 

In  our  efforts  to  encourage  immigrants  who  were  seeking 
lands  to  settle  upon  for  farming  purposes,  to  locate  above  the 
Falls,  we  occasionally  received  n  set-back  in  consequence  of 
Indian  disturbances.  Late  this  spring  a  war- party  of  Dakotas 
were  after  Chipi)ewa  scalps  on  Swan  river.  They  found  one 
of  their  foes  who  had  a  keg  of  whisky.  Bloodthirsty  as  they 
were,  they  cared  more  for  the  whisky  than  for  the  scalp  of 
the  Chippewa,  for  while  they  ceased  hostilities  long  enough 
to  take  a  drink,  the  Chippewa  escajied.  By  the  time  the  con- 
tents of  the  keg  were  disposed  of  the  Dakotas  were  drunk. 
"When  in  that  condition  a  white  man's  scalp  is  as  valuable  to 
them  as  that  of  a  Chippewa  ;  hence  they  attacked  a  party  of 
teamsters  on  the  road  from  St.  Paul  with  military  stores  foi- 
Fort  Gaines,  and  killed  a  worthy  man  named  Andrew  Swartz. 


i>l 


112 


I'EUHON.VIi    ltKC'OLI,i:<  riONH 


ill 


Such  occ'unonccH  prcvcMited  the  occnpntioii  of  (h«'  really  good 
farming  liiiuls  aI»ov«>  \\w  Falln. 

In  tiu'tirst  Hftth'nicnton  ('oon  croek,  juHt  al.oveSt.  Anthony, 
tho  IndianH  killed  Huch  donieHtic  cattle  txH  they  could  tinii 
belonging  to  the  whites,  which  discourage«l  the  hettleiv. 

The  Hi*st  military  duty  in  tlu»  tield  hy  Jjieulenant  It.  W. 
Johnson,  after  his  arrival  at  Fort  Snelling  in  1S4!>,  was  to 
remove  a  l)and  of  pilfering  Indians  who  were  engaged  in 
killing  cattle  belonging  to  settlers  above  the  Falls.  His 
headcpiarters  while  engageil  in  this  duty,  were  at  the  junction 
of  Hum  river  witli  the  Mississippi  now  the  flourishing  city 
of  Anoka.  What  made  it  mort>  discouraging  was  that  the 
mauraders  were  seldom  punished.  Those  who  murdered 
Swartz  escaped  from  the  military  authorities  at  Fort  Ripley 
aud  were  never  recaptured. 

A  year  later  souie  Dakota  Indians  nu»t  a  party  of  German 
immigrants  above  Meudota  and  sliot  one  of  them,  Mrs. 
Keener,  killing  her  instantly.  In  this  instance  the  Indians 
were  jaunshed  in  the  most  thorough  manner.  They  were 
compelled  by  the  goveriunent  forc-es  to  surrender  the  mur- 
derer, Yu-ha-zee,  who  was  tried,  ct)nvicted,  and  hung  in  St. 
Paul,  but  ut)t  until  a  year  after  his  conviction  by  the  court. 


IM.MIOItATION,   STAGES   AND    NAVIGATION. 

As  the  seasoi  advanced  immigration  increased.  Messrs. 
Amherst  Willoug  '^v  and  Simon  Powei-s  of  St.  Paul  had 
established  a  two-hor.  ^agi*  aiul  express,  which  made  daily 
trijjs  to  the  different  towi.  immediately  connected  with  St. 
Paul,  Imt  the  volume  of  travti  so  increased  that  these  v.iier- 
prisiiig  gentlemen  stocked  their  route  with  good  horses,  and 
Concord  coaches  imported  from  the  factory  in  New  Hamp- 
shire. Messrs.  AVilloughby  &.  Power's  line  of  coaches  to  St. 
Anthony  was  called  the  red  liuf  because  it  was  painted  red, 
Messrs.  Patterson  &  Benson's  iino  "^-as  known  as  the  yellow 
line  because  the  coaches  wei*e  printed  yellow.  The  rivalry 
between  the  two  lines  became  intense,  though  neither  offered 
to  reduce  the  rates  of  fare. 

AVhile  St.  A.nthony  was  nnable  to  secure  navigation  between 
St.    Paul  and  the  Falls,   yet  through  the  energy  of  John 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


113 


RolliiiHtho  rivpr  ahovo  thr  Fnlls  was  juade  an  uni)ortant  xine 
of  ill  tho  rTiiniinj^  of  Ht«'anilK)atH  to  Sauk  liapidn.  Captain 
Rollins  \vas  a  iiativo  of  Xcw  Sharon.  Alaiin',  and  was  born  in 
ISOC).  ]}(>f'()n>  coniinu;  lo  Miinu'soii;  h*<  was  <'nKn,t^<'(l  as  luin- 
bcnnan,  and  was  at  ont*  tini«'  a  «irn\K  r  of  tlif  Irj^islaturo  of 
his  nativoHtalc.  In  1S4.S  ho  visitt>d  the  Falls  of  St.  Antiiony, 
and  was  so  pleased  with  the  country  that  he  moved  his  faniily 
here  in  tli(»  sprinjjj  of  ISlll.  Th(>  sanu>  year  he  was  el<  rted  ft 
niend)er  of  th(*  territorial  ««>un('il.  HaviUf^  had  cnuMtlerable 
experience  ii!  the  soinewhat  ditHeult  navijj;ation  of  the  rivers 
in  his  native  state,  h(»  beeanu»  satisfied  that  navigation 
above  the  Falls  could  b(>  made  ])rotitable  with  steamers  of  the 
same  style  as  those  used  on  the  rivers  in  Maine.  He  deter- 
min(>d  to  make  the  experiment,  and  i^ave  onh'rs  for  the  build- 
ing of  a  boat  similar  to  those  used  on  the  Penobscot.  The 
boiler,  engine,  and  all  iron-work,  were  made  in  Bangor,  and 
wluMi  completed  wt>n>  shij)ped  by  sea  to  New  Orleans  and  up 
the  Mississii)])i  to  St.  Paul.  The  hull  ;;nd  all  wood  work  was 
made  in  tin*  village,  inider  tin*  supervision  of  experienced 
ship-carpenters  w  ho  came  from  Maine  to  superintend  the 
work.  It  was  found,  when  the  steamer  was  finished,  that  it 
worked  to  jjerfection.  He  called  it  the  Governor  Ramsey,  in 
honor  of  our  first  governor.  The  j)roblem  was  solved  so  far 
a.s  the  navigation  of  the  river  al)ove  the  Falls  was  concerned. 
He  mangled  the  steamer  with  experienced  boatmen  who  had 
served  a  apprenticeship  on  similar  water-craft  in  Maine. 
He  sent  there  for  them.  Captain  Benjamin  B.  Parker  was 
the  master.  He  soon  built  up  a  prosperous  trade  on  the  river, 
and  from  1851  and  for  several  years,  the  Governor  Ramsey 
was  well  patronized  by  the  business  men  of  the  \ij)per  river. 
In  the  meantime  several  other  boats  were  built  and  became 
rivals  of  the  Governor  Ramsey. 

UPPER    MISSISSIPPI    BOATS   WITHDRAWN. 

During  the  civil  war  there  was  a  great  demand  for  small, 
light-draft  steamers  to  run  on  the  tribxitarii'S  and  bayous  of 
the  lower  Mississippi,  to  transport  troops  and  munitions  of 
war  from  the  deep  watei's  of  the  j)arent  stream  through  the 
shallow  streams  leading  into  the  interior  of  the  country.     All 


-  ' 

j^^JI 

-...^•ttmmimmmi 


114 


PERSONAL    ItKCOI-LECTIONS 


the  stenniers  above  tlie  Falls  were  used  for  this  purpose. 
They  were  moved  on  rollers  by  land  ai-oinid  the  cataract, 
laiiiiched  in  the  river  below  it,  and  steanieil  toward  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  never  to  return.  Perhaps  it  was  jiist  as  well,  as 
the  advent  of  railroads  up  the  river  about  the  tinn^  of  the 
removal  of  llie  steamers  down  the  stream  would  have  made 
navipifion  of  the  ujjper  waters  un})rotitable.  Besides,  the 
owners  of  the  boats  o])tained  a  good  i)rice  for  their  property. 

A   KEPBF.SENTATIVE    PIONEER. 

Captain  Kollins  was  one  of  our  most  enteri)rising  men.  I 
once  made  a  long  winter's  journey  Avith  him,  when  a  regent 
of  the  University  of  Mimiesota,  through  the  Mississippi 
pineries,  in  selecting  pine  lands  for  that  institution.  He  was 
capable  of  enduring  great  fatigue,  as  I  Avell  know  from  per- 
sonal observation,  and  was  considered  one  of  the  best  judges 
of  pine  "lands  in  the  state.  Ht?  died  universally  respected  and 
lamented,  at  his  pleasant  home  in  St.  Anthony  in  1885.  There 
is  no  doubt  but  that  the  navigation  of  the  iip])er  Mississippi, 
in  those  early  days,  attracted  more  iimnigration  to  that 
locality  than  all  other  elforts.  Stearns,  Wi'ight,  Benton  and 
Sherlmrne  counties  felt  the  influence  to  n  very  great  extent. 
Farmers  were  willing  to  settle  on  lands  that  were  in  the 
vicinity  of  navigable  waters. 

The  river  was  very  high  during  the  whole  season  of  1851. 
On  June  26th  of  that  year  a  great  many  of  the  logs  in  the 
mill-pond  were  swept  over  the  dam,  but  fortunately  enough 
remained  to  supply  the  mill,  which  was  kept  rimniiig  to  its 
full  capacity  for  the  wliole  year,  and  at  the  clo.^e  of  the  sea- 
son but  little  sawed  lumber  was  left  for  the  winter  market. 
Much  of  the  building  material  required  for  immediate  use 
was  kiln-dried,  but  more  of  it  had  to  l)e  used  entirely  green. 
The  shrinkage,  when  made  into  buildings,  was  considerable, 
and  created  wide  openings  in  the  ceilings  that  admitted  the 
cold.  Otherwise  the  houses  were  good.  Some  of  thi>m  are 
occupied  tc>-day  by  the  descendants  of  those  who  built  them. 

FIRST   MERCHANTS  AT  'THE   FALLS. 

As  the  seasori  advanced  the  merchants  of  the  village  decided 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


115 


to  compete  for  a  portion  of  the  Red  river  trade.  The  annual 
caravan  was  expected  about  the  middle  of  July.  Heretofore 
this  trade  had  been  confined  to  Fort  Snelling,  St.  Paul,  and  at 
an  early  day  to  Mendoca.  The  first  real  live  niercliant  in  St. 
Anthony  was  E.  P.  Eussell,  who  came  to  Fort  Snelling  in  the 
fall  of  18!59.  Nine  years  later  he  commenced  commercial 
pursuits,  and  October  3  the  same  year  married  Miss  Marian 
Patch,  a  daughter  of  Luther  Patch,  and  a  lady  of  great  merit. 
Mr.  Patch  with  his  family  had  been  a  resitlent  of  the  place 
for  more  than  a  year.  Mr.  Russell  was  not  t)nly  the  first 
merchant,  but  set  an  excellent  example  to  the  others  who  came 
afterwards  and  were  bachelors  by  getting  married. 

William  R.  Marshall,  in  the  spring  of  1849,  established  the 
second  store.  Later  that  year  John  Geoi'ge  Lennon,  of  the 
house  of  P.  Choteau  &  Co.,  the  head  of  the  American  Fur 
Company,  opened  the  third  store.  The  fourth  store  was 
established  in  May  1851  by  Messrs.  Steele  &  Stevens.  The 
same  year  Mr.  R.  P.  Upton  succeeded  Mr.  Marshall.  J.  P. 
Wilson  opened  a  store  in  the  upper  part  of  the  town,  and  E. 
Case  and  his  nan  S.  W.  Case,  opened  a  grocery  store 
opposite  the  St.  Charles.  These  merchants  tried  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  Red  river  traders,  antl  prevent  them  from 
trading  exclusively  with  the  merchants  they  had  formerly 
dealt  with.  When  the  hundred  or  more  carts  made  their 
appearance  en  route  for  St.  Pnul,  inducements  were  presented 
to  the  principal  traders  in  the  cMravan,  with  the  result  of  a 
moderate  exchange  of  goods  for  furs,  pemniican  and  Indian 
curiosities.  Still  the  lion's  share  went  to  St.  Paul  Many  of 
the  merchants  with  the  expedition  bought  their  goods  for 
cash,  having  sold  their  furs  far  down  the  valley  of  the  Red 
river  to  the  agents  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  receiving 
for  them  English  coin. 


OUJi   FIKST   OIUST-MILLS. 


Up  to  this  time  but  little  grain  had  l*een  raised  in  the  ter- 
ritory ;  and  for  that  matter,  with  thts  exception  of  vegetables, 
but  little  of  anytliing  else  to  eat.  In  1850  a  few  farmers 
sowed  wheat,  arid  harvested  an  abundant  yield  ;  but  there 
being  no  mills  in  the  vicinity  it  had  to  be  shipped,  in  order 
to  realize  money  on  it,  to  Messrs.  Fentons'  mill  at  Prairie  du 


■WfpH 


«».^>U.-.   JI.MM.MIMP 


116 


PERSONAL  liECOLLECTIOXS 


Chien,  which  was  the  nearest  mill  ( if  we  except  the  small  one 
on  Boles'  creek,  with  only  one  rnn  of  stones)  to  the  Falls. 
The  Express,  in  speaking  of  our  wants  in  this  particular,  said 
there  out,Hit  to  be  a  large  mill  of  the  first  class  for  grinding 
grain  put  uj)  at  once.  That  paper  was  confident  there  would 
be  sufficient  grain  grown  in  this  vicinity  in  1851  and  1852  to 
keep  such  a  mill  in  full  operation  the  year  round.  It  added 
that  it  was  an  absurd  idea  to  send  all  our  grain  out  of  the 
territory  three  or  four  hundred  miles  distant  to  be  manufac- 
tured into  flour  or  meal,  when  we  have  the  most  splendid 
water  power  in  the  world,  of  unlimited  extent.  Althoiigh  this 
is  now  the  greatest  milling  center  in  the  world,  the  people  in 
this  neighborhood  had  to  wait  for  several  years  after  1851, 
before  there  was  a  grist-mill  at  the  Falls. 

AN   INDIAN   TREATY. 


We  were  all  very  much  interested  in  the  result  of  the  great 
Indian  treaty  held  in  the  early  pummer  of  1851,  at  Traverse 
des  Sioux.  At  that  period  most  of  those  who  had  ever  held 
an  office  in  the  territory,  or  traded  with  the  Indians,  and 
everyone  who  could  get  away  from  his  home,  went  to  Trav- 
erse to  be  present  on  the  occasion.  Twenty-one  millions  of 
acres  of  the  chc'cest  agricultural  lands  in  the  northwest  were 
owned  by  the  Indians.  The  whites  wanted  it,  and  the  Indians 
wanted  to  sell  it.  Governor  Alexander  Ramsey,  and  Hon. 
Luke  Lea,  Commissioner  of  Indian  Aifairs  at  Washington, 
represented  the  United  States.  The  territory  included  all 
the  lands  west  of  the  Mississippi  river  from  the  Iowa  line  to 
the  boundaries  of  the  Chippewa  reservation,  and  so  west 
bcj'^ond  the  boundaries  of  Minnesota.  The  bargain  was  com- 
menced on  July  2d,  and  lasted  until  the  22d  of  that  month 
before  it  was  completed.  The  Indians  received  a  large  sum 
in  gold  at  the  signing  of  the  treaty,  and  a  lai-ge  annuity 
annually  in  cash,  goods  and  provisions,  for  twenty  years 
afterwards.  The  government  also  paid  all  the  debts  they 
owed  to  the  Indian  traders.  The  ludiaus  spent  their  money 
freely  on  their  return  from  the  treaty,  making  for  a  short 
time  a  large  circulation  of  gold  in  the  business-circles  of  the 
territory.     This  treaty  was  the  most  important  event  tliat  had 


m 


OP  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  TEOrLE. 


117 


ever  transpired  iii  Miiuiesotn,  Its  g(xxl  effects  were  visible  at 
once.  St.  Paul,  St.  Antliony,  and  Stillwater  were  not  the 
only  portions  of  the  country  to  be  benefitted.  New  towns 
were  to  spring  up.  The  town-sites  upon  which  were  Winona, 
Shakopee,  Red  Wing,  Maukato,  Rochester,  and  those  of 
other  well-known  cities  and  villages  that  exist  now,  were  to 
be  occui)ied  by  the  whites. 

JUSTICES   OF   THE   I'EACE. 

At  this  time  the  village  had  three  justices  of  the  peace — 
Ur.  Ira  Kiiigsley,  Charles  E.  Leonard,  and  Lardncr  Bostwick. 
Justice  Leonard  represented  the  upper  part  of  the  village. 
It  was  seldom  the  jiistices  had  any  business.  Once  in  a  while 
a  small  lawsi:it  was  brought  before  them,  which  in  most 
instances  was  caused  by  claim-jumping.  Peoi)le  had  not  been 
in  the  ct>untry  hmg  enough  to  get  in  debt  to  any  great  extent, 
and  if  they  had,  they  had  a  year  in  which  to  pay.  The 
mcmthly  collection  of  bills  was  then  unknown.  B.  Cloutier 
had  a  l)ow]ing-alley  and  a  saloon.  Once  in  a  while  a  dispute 
would  arise  between  his  customers,  but  it  was  settled  by  an 
adjournment  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  thi'  parties  would 
fight  it  oiit,  shake  hands  after  the  battle,  and  that  was  the  last 
of  it.  The  coxirts  were  seldom  called  ui'on  to  i)unish  such 
law-breakers. 

Almost  every  state  and  nation  was  rejjresented  in  the  list 
of  settlers,  though  nine  out  of  ten  of  ihe  lumbermen  were 
from  Maine,  the  others  from  the  British  provinces,  with  a  few 
from  the  middle  states.  All  in  all,  it  Avould  be  very  diflicult 
t<.  find  a  more  orderly  and  law-abiding  ])eo])le.  They  had 
.'.'ojue  to  the  Falls  to  settle  for  life.  They  would  grow  \ip  with 
i'"' city,  and  aid  in  develojjing  its  rescmrce.s.  They  were  in 
*;;-•>•:  of  good  habits  anil  good  morals  in  their  every-day  life. 

MOSQUITOES. 

This  year  mostiuitoes  were  more  numerous  than  ever.  At 
f-anset  the  air  was  filled  with  them.  Everyone,  unless  j)ro- 
tected,  was  made  to  siitfer  from  their  blood-thirstiness.  I 
had  been  pretty  well  accpiainted  with  this  pest  on  the  Spanish 
main,  at  the  balize  at  the   mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  at  Vera 


1,1- 


Trr:T^yT:i:iTras8B 


118 


PKHSONAL    HKOOLLECTIONS 


'Pi' 


Crusj,  at  Ci)ri)U8  Christi,  and  Brn/os  Sjintiiigo — places  noted 
througliout  the  world  for  beini;'  a  great  rendezvous  of  mos- 
quitoes—Imt  I  never  saw  them  more  nmnerous  than  in  the 
neighboi-hood  of  the  Falls  during  the  first  few  years  after 
occupation  hy  the  whites.  Neither  smoke,  smudges,  or  fire 
would  oanish  them.  Moscpiito-bars  iri  the  doorways  and 
around  the  beds  were  inefficient  i)rotection.  The  bx-eaking  up 
of  the  praliie,  the  draining  of  the  jionds  and  marslies,  the 
building  of  iiciis(>s,  and  the  results  of  civilization  generally, 
have  made  the  moscpiito  comi)aratively  a  pest  of  the  past. 

CHAIIACTEIJ  OF  THE  IMMIOHATION  -  FIltST  SURVEYORS. 


Most  of  the  inuiiigration  this  year  was  composed  of  farmers 
from  different  sections  of  the  east.  They  wanted  lands  for 
farms,  to  h  t.  on  jDermanently.  This  kept  our  land-surveyors 
busy  in  trat  .:  •  lines  of  the  wild  lands,  so  that  the  claim- 

ants could  plac  le  correct  boundaries  to  their  farms.  Here- 
tofore William  It.  Marshall  had  been  the  only  surveyor,  but 
his  mercantile  and  other  business  pursi  'ts  were  such  that  he 
could  not  atten^i  to  outside  work.  The  year  previous  Charles 
W.  Christmas  arrived  in  St.  Anthony  from  booster,  Ohio. 
Mr.  Christmas  was  a  surveyor  of  experience.  He  had  been 
employed  by  the  government  in  surveying  the  public  lands  in 
Michigan.  He  at  once  had  all  tlu>  work  he  could  do  in  nm- 
uing  the  lines  of  the  land  claimed  by  those  seeking  new  homes 
in  the  territory.  Mr,  Christnuis  was  the  first  register  of  the 
United  States  land-office  at  Sauk  Rapids.  On  the  organi- 
zation of  Hennejjin  county  he  was  elected  county  surveyor, 
an  office  he  held  for  many  years.  He  surveyed  the  first  lands 
into  lots  in  Minneapolis  properand  was  the  principal  engineer 
on  all  the  territorial  roads  running  into  or  out  of  St.  Anthony 
and  Minnea})olis.  He  made  and  occupied  a  claim  on  the 
Indian  lands  just  above  the  boundary  of  tht»  Fort  Snelling 
military  reservation  in  north  Minneapolis.  He  lived  to  Kee 
Minneapolis  grow  into  a  large  city.  He  died  about  three 
years  since  at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty-three  years. 

FIRST   MECHANICS. 

St.  Anthony  had  now  nearly  all  the  home  mechanics  neces- 


01'   MINNEHOT.V   AXD   US   I'KOPLE. 


119 


sary  to  complete  Iniildings  from  foiiiidatioii  to  ridge.  Wil 
Ham  Wortliiiigham,  a  master  mason  and  a  first-class  work- 
man, had  emigrated  from  Chicago  to  the  village,  and  was  con- 
stantly employed  on  tlit?  foundations  for  lio\is(^s,  and  also  plas- 
tering. He  brought  his  workmen  from  Chicago.  The 
quarries  so  abundant  on  the  banks  of  the  river  afforded  the 
very  best  material  for  foundations  and  walls.  Edgar  Folsom 
estalilished  a  lime-kiln,  which  afforded  lime  for  the  first  coat, 
but  finishing-lime  at  first  had  to  be  imported  from  below 
Prairie  du  Chien.  Siibsequently  it  was  secured  at  Clear- 
Avater.  Elias  H.  Conner,  who  came  to  the  village^  in  1848, 
Edward  Patch  and  H.  Hiise  about  the  same  time,  George  T. 
Vail  and  Justus  H.  MotUton,  in  1850,  and  Joseph  l)ean,  James 
M.  Garrett,  and  Stephen  Fullard,  in  the  spring  of  1851,  were 
all  superior  master-carpenters.  Up  to  tliis  time  we  lacked  a 
professional  house-  and  sign-painter,  l)ut  A.  Stone,  a  native 
of  New  Hampshire,  fortunately  wandered  (mt  west,  selected 
St.  Anthony  for  his  home,  and  our  wants  in  this  particular 
Avere  supplied.  He  was  soon  followed  by  John  Hollanil. 
Previously  the  village  had,  to  a  great  extent,  depended  upon 
J.  M  Boal  and  other  jiainters  in  St.  Paul  for  work  of  this 
character.  From  this  time  on  we  had  our  own  citizens  of 
every  trade,  and  were  no  longer  dependent  on  outsiders  for 
aid  in  any  enterprise  we  might  undertakes  to  forward  the 
interests  of  our  young  village.  While  as  a  malter  of  fact  I 
was  not  a  resident  or  a  voter  in  St.  Anthony  at  that  time,  all 
my  business  was  centered  there,  and  I  felt  great  interest  in 
its  prosperity.  My  residence  and  home  was  on  the  western 
bank  of  the  river,  in  another  county,  known  as  Dahkotah.  The 
center  of  the  river  was  the  boundary-line  between  Eamsey 
and  Dahkotah  counties. 

No  new  village  <'an  expect  praise  from  the  traveling  public 
imless  it  contains  a  good  hotel,  or  a  house  of  entertainment 
that  is  comfortable  for  those  who  are  obliged  to  seek  a  tem- 
porary lunne  there.  St.  Anthony  was  peculiarly  fortunate  in 
having  such  a  home.  In  1810  Anson  Northrnp  commenced 
the  erection  of  the  St.  Charles,  a  first-class  hotel,  sufficient 
for  the  accommodation  of  seventy-five  guests,  and  finished  it 
in  June  1850. 

And  yet  with  all  the  bright  prospects  of  the  future,  in  con- 


•       f 


7 


IP 


120 


PERSONAL   RECOLLECTIONS 


sequence  of  an  nnfortnnate  sale  of  n  half-interest  in  the  mills 
and  the  landed  proi)erty  to  Arnold  W.  Taylor  of  TJoston,  who 
refused  to  sell  his  half  of  the  lots  to  those  who  wanted  to  build 
houses  on  them,  the  village  did  not  make  the  growth  that  w^as 
expected.  In  time,  however,  Mr.  Steele  purchased  back  the 
property  from  Mr.  Taylor,  but  the  village  lost  while  the  prop- 
erty was  thus  tied  up  by  Mr.  Taylor's  obstinacy. 

FIRST   FARMERS. 


While  the  village  was  thus  prospering,  several  farmers 
occupied  the  agricultural  lands  adjoiniiiia;  it.  In  1850  L.  C. 
Timpson  and  N.  O.  Phillii)s  made  two  ^  laims  on  section  six. 
Lewis  Stone  and  his  two  sons  made  three  claims  near  Timp- 
fion's.  Mr.  Finch,  a  brother-in-law  of  Hon.  J.  AV.  North,  just 
from  New  York,  made  n  claim  and  a  valuable  farm  near  the 
Messrs.  Stone's  claims.  William  Dugas  and  Joseph  Reach 
had  good  farms  jiist  above  Bottineau's  addition  as  early  as 
1847.  William  Smith  and  Joseph  Libby,  natives  of  Maine, 
opencnl  valuable  farms  near  the  road  leading  to  St.  Paul. 
Judge  Meeker  jnirchased  from  a  Canadian-Frenchman  the 
farm  just  below  Mr.  Cheever's.  This  farm  had  been  worked 
four  or  five  years.  Henry  Cole  ojjened  a  valuable  farm  out  a 
little  northeast  of  the  village.  Gordon  G.  Loomis  and  Cap- 
tain John  Rollins  made  claims  to  the  hay-lands  adjoining  on 
the  east  of  the  village.  Robert  W.  Cummings  and  Henry 
Angell  had  claims  and  improved  them  north  and  east  of 
Messrs.  Loomis  and  Rollins.  William  A.  Cheever  in  laying 
out  St.  Anthony  tity,  reserved  a  jjortion  of  his  land  for  farm- 
ing jmrposes.  Calvin  A.  Tuttle  had  a  field  of  forty  acres,  a 
portion  of  which  includes  the  i)resent  L^niversity  grounds,  as 
does  the  foniur  farm  of  Mr.  Cheever,  on  which  large  crops 
were  raised.  John  Balif  once  owned  Mr.  Tuttle's  claim  ; 
he  afterwards  settled  on  Nine-mile  creek.  Washington 
Getchell  made  a  claim  on  section  three,  but  sold  it  the 
following  year  to  Edward  Patch.  William  L.  Larned,  who 
was  elected  to  the  territorial  council  in  the  fall  of  1851,  made 
a  claim  back  of  the  hay-meadow  in  1850,  and  plowed  some 
eighty  acres  and  raised  satisfactory  crops  on  it  for  several 
years.     He  resided  on  his  fann.     Joseph  Potvin  made  a  claim 


OF  MINNE80TA   AND  ITS    TEOrLE. 


121 


and  occupied  it  in  1848  nortlionHt  of  the  villngo.  Mr.  Gibbs, 
who  liad  resided  the  ])revioiis  year  with  Mr.  Tuttle,  opened 
his  fine  farm  on  tlie  C'cjino  road  in  1851.  There  were  one  or 
two  other  claims  made  into  farms  up  to  this  time  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  vilhige  ;  biit  tlie  claimants  became  discouraged 
and  only  occupied  their  lands  for  a  short  time,  and  then 
sold  oiit  and  removed  from  the  ccmutry.  Most  of  the  farms 
mentioned  above  are  now  inchided  in  the  (>ast  division  of  the 
city,  and  all  are  valuable,  though  with  few  exceptions  the  first 
occupants  did  not  realize  as  much  money  for  their  labor  as 
they  should.  The  price  of  farm  products  ruled  low  in  the 
early  fiftie-?.  I  believe  Mr.  Gibbs  is  about  the  only  one  of 
those  named  who  occupies  nnd  owns  at  this  time  the  original 
farm  settled  on  so  many  years  since. 

THE   FALL   ELECTIONS  OF  18.51. 

As  the  sunnner  passed,  the  politicians  commenced  their 
canvass  in  regard  to  the  approaching  fidl  elections.  Mr. 
Sibley  held  over,  having  been  elected  the  previous  fall  a  dele- 
gate for  two  year.s.  A  f\ill  ticket  was  to  be  elected  in  Ramsey 
county.  At  a  Democratic  county  convention  held  in  St.  Paul 
George  F.  Brott  of  St.  Anthony  received  the  nomination  for 
sherilt',  John  W.  North  for  county  attorney,  and  Dr.  H. 
Fletcher  for  judge  of  probate,  which  wns  deemed  a  pretty 
liberal  division  of  the  county  candidates.  Eamsey  county 
retained  the  nominations  for  register  of  dt^nls,  treasurer,  sur- 
veyor, and  commissioner.  The  whigs  did  not  nominate  a 
ticket,  but  joined  tlu^  jM'ople's  party.  At  a  convention  of  the 
latter  Anson  Northrup  was  nomiiuited  for  sheriff,  and  Dr. 
Ira  B.  Kingsley  for  judge  of  probate.  The  other  candidates 
were  assigned  to  St.  Paid.  Mr.  lirott  and  Dr.  Kingsley  were 
elected.  R.  P.  Russell  held  over  as  commissioner.  Thus  St. 
Anthony  contained,  January  1,  1852,  three  citizens  who  held 
county  offices  in  Ramsey  county.  At  a  district  convention 
William  L.  Larned  was  nominated  for  the  territi>rial  council. 
Isaac  Atwater  was  selected  as  the  whig  candidate.  A  lively 
canvass  was  made,  and  Mr.  Larned  was  elected  by  a  small 
majority.  Sumner  W.  Farn.ham  and  Dr.  John  H.  Murphy 
were  elected  to  the  house  of  representatives  from  St.  Anthony. 
There  were  few  offices  to  be  filled,  but  the  excitement  was 
greater  than  at  such  elections  now. 


•  ffTTxiiijrr 


CHAPTER  XX. 


ENTHUSIASM,   FASCINATION,  AND    ItOMANCK  OF    FRONTIKR   LIFE. 

I  was  HOW  ])retty  well  ncclimuted  in  this  new  country,  and 
was  delighted  with  all  that  ai)pertains  to  the  climate.  The 
winters  are  cold,  but  pleasant.  Cold  must  be  expected  in  a 
high  latitude  diiring  the  winter  months.  They  are  made  for 
each  other.  Minnesota  would  not  be  real  with  a  tro])ieal 
winter  ;  neither  would  it  be  desirabk".  There  is  no  shivering, 
sickening,  milk-and-wat(>r  cold,  such  as  is  fretpientlj'  felt  in  a 
lower  latitude,  i)enetratiug  the  bones  and  marrow  with  a  damp 
chilliness,  and  alfecting  one  v,""^!!  gloomy  forebodings  and  des- 
})oudent  disagreeableness.  Hei'e  we  know  what  to  depend  on. 
In  the  lower  country  one  day  it  is  summer-heat,  the  next  rain, 
may  be  sleet,  till' mercury  low  enough  to  aflPord  the  greatest 
discomfort  to  man  and  beast  :  taxing  the  mind,  the  body  and 
the  health  ;  while  here  we  know  just  what  to  expect  a  steady, 
vigorous,  bracing,  healthy  (with  all  the  word  implies)  cold  ! 
We  are  prepared  to  meet  the  winter  on  his  coming.  Our 
houses,  bams,  stables,  and  outbuildings  are  made  warm  and 
comfortable. 

While  the  spring  months,  or  at  least  March  and  April,  are 
too  much  like  the  winter  months  of  the  southern  states,  they 
are  on  the  whole  enjoyable.  I  have  found  May  to  be  a  par- 
ticularly pleasant  7uonth.  Spring  days  we  have  when  the 
azure  is  flecked  with  fleecy  cloiids  ;  the  air  deliciously  soft, 
moist,  warm,  and  breezy  ;  the  sunshine  subdued,  mellow, 
dreamy  ;  the  maple  in  full,  fresh  leaf  ;  the  native  oak  in 
tender  half-foliage  ;  and  birds  are  joyous  in  song  :   a  spring 


!  I  I 


OF  MINNKSOTA  AND  ITS  TKOPLE. 


128 


resurrection  of  vef^etahle  life  from  its  winter  tlesolation  unci 
death — as  refreshing  to  the  spirit  as  bahny  air  to  the  sense. 

The  siinunei-  season  is  all  that  we  can  ask  oi'  wish  for. 
The  autumns  are  (h'lightful.  The  Indian-summer  is  one  of 
the  most  charmini;-  seasons  of  the  year.  It  comes  late  in 
the  fall  and  is  of  loni^  duration.  .\  serious  inconvenience 
attending  it  is  tiic  disa.strous  i)rairie-iires.  In  the  fall  of 
1851  the  Indians  out  west  of  the  lakes  set  fires  which,  during 
a  strong  wind,  came  sweeping  over  the  prairie,  endangering 
my  buildings  and  the  lives  of  my  stock.  After  such  visita- 
tions the  surface  of  the  country  hail  a  bleak,  desolate,  dreary 
appearance,  which  remained  until  vegetation  started  the  fol- 
lowing spring. 

The  fine  scenery,  steel-blu(>  sky,  majestic  rivers,  clear  lakes, 
leapingwatei'-falls,  gleeful  streandets,  invigorating  atmosphere, 
and  health-giving  climate  of  Minnesota— merit  the  praise 
of  all  who  have  experienced  them  dui'ing  the  half-century 
since  white  men  came  among  the  Indian  natives  of  this 
land  of  the  Dakotas.  The  dry  air  of  its  cold  winters,  and  the 
cool  nights  of  its  hot  summers,  are  a  source  of  })erennial 
pleasure.  Bt>cause  there  was  water  everywhere,  Nicollet 
called  the  country  Undine.  Equally  may  the  red-man's  Ho  ! 
and  Ha-ha  !  express  ttu>  jjleasure  and  suri)rise  of  all  at  sight 
of  the  foanung  waterfalls  and  sunny  lakes. 

Recollecting  the  youthfid  enthusiasm  I  shared  with  othei-s 
in  those  days,  as  we  ai)preciated  the  advantages  of  the  soil, 
climate,  facilities,  resources,  and  location  of  this  coiintry,  it 
seems  not  so  great  a  surprise,  as  it  otherwise  would  be,  that 
this  state  has  leai)e(l  from  obsciirity  and  savagery  into  a  blaze 
of  civilized  glory.  The  enterprise  of  its  people,  and  the 
energy  of  its  jjrogress,  is  a  theme  of  world-wide  praise.  Here 
is  an  elevated  plateau  that  may  comuumd  the  world  ! 


:,  ^|■■ 


•MiliiJi 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


BLACK  BEARS. 

During  the  latter  part  of  wiii^mer  the  country  was  full  of 
bears.  A  band  of  Dakota^  in  tlie  neighborhood  of  Rice  Lake 
in  two  days  killed  twenty-iive  of  them.  They  frequented  the 
road-side  between  St.  Anthony  and  St.  Paul.  Two  were  seen 
within  a  mile  of  the  Democrat  office  in  the  last-named  village. 
Mr.  Charles  Moseau,  who  resided  on  the  southeastern  bank  of 
Lake  Calhoun,  came  in  contact  with  a  luige  bear  of  seven 
hundred  pounds  weight.  A  desperate  tight  took  jjlace  between 
Mr.  Moseau  and  bruin  and  the  bear  came  out  second-best. 
From  that  time  to  this  those  brutes  have  never  made  their 
appearance  in  this  vicinity. 

A   WILD   DEER   ON   SI'IUIT    ISLAND. 

Mysterioxisly  a  deer  was  the  occupant  of  Spirit  Island,  close 
to  the  precipice  of  the  Falls,  in  1851.  The  water  was  so  high 
that  year  that  the  island  could  not  be  reached,  and  the  animal 
was  not  interfered  with,  but  it  is  supposed  made  its  escape 
during  the  extreme  cold  in  the  beginning  of  winter  when  ice 
connected  the  island  with  the  main  shore  ;  but  this  is  only  a 
supposition,  as  no  one  seemed  to  know  how  it  reached  or  how 
it  escaped  from  the  island. 

PIONEEll   FABMINr,. 

Having  grubbed  out  and  broken  up,  (hiring  the  sximmer  of 
1850,  some  forty  acres  of  land  immediately  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  a})ove  my  house,  my  youngest  brother,  Simon  Stevens, 
now  of  Clearwater  in  this  state,  and  Heniy  Chambers  ( who 
died  some  two  years  since  in  California  ),  were  engaged  during 
the  spring  and  summer  of  1851  in  working  the  farm.     Messrs. 


OF  MINNKHOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


125 


Stevens  and  rimmbcis  c/iint' to  me  in  1H50.  This  farm  wiis 
tlie  firnt  one  opened  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  aside  from 
the  farms  worked  l)y  the  military  aiithoritiesatFort  Snellinjj:, 
and  aside  too  from  tlie  Indian,  tlie  missionaries,  and  the 
Indian  traders'  farms.  It  was  unih'rstood  at  that  time  tliat  it 
was  also  the  first  farm  that  was  opened  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river  from  the  Iowa  line  to  Sauk  Eapids.  I  had  a  field  for 
wheat,  one  for  corn,  another  for  oats,  and  several  smaller  ones 
for  buckwheat,  j)()tatoes,  and  other  vej^etables.  This  land 
makes  at  this  time  a  thousand  times  more  money  for  the 
owners  than  it  did  at  that  time  for  mo,  but  it  was  a  ^reat 
advantaji^e  to  the  territory  as  an  attraction  to  innni^rants. 
Almost  every  8tran<>;er  who  visited  the  territory  was  di>sirou8 
of  seeing  the  Falls  from  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  in 
most  instances  crossed  the  ferry.  In  doing  so  they  were  sur- 
prised, as  they  reached  the  western  bank  of  the  stream,  to  see 
the  fields  of  oats,  wheat,  and  corn,  that  would  l)e  a  credit  to 
central  Illinois.  Those  tields  of  grain  decided  the  destiny  of 
many  an  immigrant.  It  put  an  end  to  all  doubts  possibly 
entertained  in  regard  to  the  ca])ability  of  Minnesota  soil  for 
producing  large  croyjs  of  grain.  It  dispelled  all  fear  from  the 
minds  of  those  who  were  wt.vering  as  to  the  fixture  j)roduction 
of  cereals  in  the  territory.  As  immigration  was  then  the 
gi-eat  staple  of  the  coimtry,  it  accomplished  a  good  work  in 
that  behalf. 


NEW   CLAIMS  ON   THE   WEST   SIDE, 


Meantime  we  were  endeavoring  to  secure  more  neighbors 
on  the  reservation.  It  was  evident  to  the  commanding  officer 
at  Fort  Snelling  that  Congress  was  disposed  to  reduce  the 
large  tract  of  land  held  for  military  piirposes,  and  he  ceased 
to  be  as  vigilant  in  keeping  off  trespassers  as  his  i)redecessors 
were.  The  reservation  extended  from  the  Minnesota  river  to 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above  Bassett's  creek,  and  from  the 
bank  of  the  Mississipi)i  back  to  the  other  side  of  lakes  ^  \^- 
houn,  and  Harriet,  and  Lake  of  the  "Woods.  On  the  east  '■  .  •  ic 
the  river  it  went  down  nearly  to  tlie  cave,  and  aLaost  up  to 
Denoyer's.  It  was  not  necessary  for  the  use  of  the  troops. 
The  officer  iu  command  at  the  Fort  at  that  time  was  Colonel 


ftffT^ 


120 


rrusoNAr.  Krcoi.MyTioNs 


Francis  Lt'e,  of  the  Sixlli  infuntry.  Jii  Au^^ust  hv  reluctantly 
gave  John  P.  Miller,  who  canu'  to  the  eounlry  with  me,  (and 
the  only  one  of  our  ectnipany  that  orLfiinizcd  in  Uockfonl,  111., 
who  reinaiut'd  after  our  up-country  expedition  in  May,  1H49, ) 
a  permit  to  occupy  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  was 
sul)rte(iueutly  known  as  Atwater's  addition  1o  Minneapolis. 
Mr.  Miller  took  pt»sseKHion  of  this  land  in  Au.i^ust,  iSol.  Hv 
hadsince  his  return  from  the  IJum  river  expedition,  renuiined 
in  St.  Paul  working  at  his  trade,  that  «)f  a  carpenter.  He  had 
H  partner  with  him  in  the  claim,  a  Mr.  l)ani<'l  Steele,  who 
remained  for  over  a  year  and  then  sold  out  his  interest  in  the 
clniiA  to  Mr.  Miller.  They  built  a  comfortabh'  dwelling- 
house,  barn,  and  stables,  and  broke  nj)  some  eighty  acres  of 
hiiuL  Ft>r  a  year  or  two  Mr.  Miller  was  tlie  most  extensive 
farmer  in  the  colony.  He  renuiined  »)n  his  claim  some  three 
yearH,  when  in  conseipienco  of  uncertainty  of  olttaining  a  title 
to  the  lan<l,  he  sold  out  for  a  very  fair  price  to  his  neighbor, 
Edward  Murj)hy.  The  latter  soon  sold  to  Judge  Atwater, 
who  ])re-empted  it  in  April,  185;"),  and  subseipu'ntly  laid  it  out 
into  lots  for  building  puri)OHe8,  and  it  is  now  covered  all  over 
with  houses. 

The  Indian  lands  having  been  opoied  for  .settlers,  Mr. 
Miller  made  a  claim  in  the  neighborhood  of  Miiuietonka  mills, 
from  which  time  to  t lie  present  day  he  has  been  one  of  the 
most  i)rominent  farmers  antl  citizens  of  the  county.  Mr. 
Miller  is  n  native  of  Pennsylvania,  but  liad  from  lioyhood 
lived  at  Bucuyrus,  Ohio,  tin  til  1848,  when  he  moved  to  Rock- 
ford,  Illinois,  and  from  there  in  April,  184i),  to  Minnesota. 

INDIANS   ENCAMPED   AT    THE   FALLS. 


The  two  lake  bauds  of  Indians,  so  called  because  they 
formerly  lived  on  the  shores  of  lakes  Calhoun  and  Harriet, 
but  then  residing  at  Oak  Grove  ( now  Bloomington  ),  encamped 
on  the  high  land  above  the  Falls  for  several  weeks  in  July 
and  Augusi.  They  had  considerable  money  left  that  they 
had  receivi'd  at  the  Traverse  des  Sioux  treaty  held  a  few 
weeks  previous.  They  had  brought  their  own  canoes  down 
the  Minnesota  river,  and  then  up  the  Mississippi  to  the  foot 
of  the  rapids,  at  which   point  they  constantly  crossed  the 


OF    MIXNKHOTA    AND    ITH    I'EOl'Li:. 


127 


river  to  tlio  St.  Anthony  sido  for  the  purpospof  trading'.  The 
ExprcsH,  for  the  benetitof  eastern  reacK'rs,  thus  deseribed  the 

rOSTl'MK   OF   THE    DAKOTA    KCaiAWH  : 

"Their  dress  is  a  shirt,  h>j;^ins  reachinj^  to  the  thii^h,  a  hirge 
"  bhuiket  and  moccasins;  anil  the  men  wear  breecli-ch)thrt, 
*'  w'liich  is  about  the  only  ditt'erenee  in  their  dress.  They  are 
•' very  fond  of  ornaments.  Their  leg^'ins  and  ornanientH  are 
"of  div<'rs  cohjrs  ;  souu'  are  bhick,  others  bhie,  some  red,  and 
"oiuers  yellow.  Some  wear  one  legf^in  red  and  tlu^  other 
*'  blue  or  black." 

IlKIIAVIOrH    OF   TDK    INDIANS    WIIIIJ;    AT    TIIK    FALLS. 

The  Indians  (hirin>^  their  encampment  were  constantly  on 
the  alert,  fearinLC  an  attack  from  the  (Jhipj)ewas,  but  they 
were  so  fond  of  tradinj^,  and  the  money  they  had  h'ft  bunied 
in  their  i)ockets  to  such  an  extent,  that  they  were  willin}.?  to 
risk  their  scalj)s  at  that  time  for  the  pleasure  they  «'xpe- 
rienced  in  exchan,Lcin,LC  their  money  for  goods.  They  were 
not  molested,  however,  during  their  stay,  and  when  their 
money  was  gone  they  folded  their  tepees  ,nid  returned  to 
their  village.  They,  however,  appeared  again  durhig  the 
fall  with  hirge  ipnintities  of  cranberries,  which  the  merchants 
and  the  citizens  of  St.  Anthony  were  eager  to  ])urchase.  They 
had  i)r(niously  given  me  the  name  of  Mi-ni-sni  —  cold 
water  and  were  always  friendly,  sui)i)lying  my  family,  at  the 
proper  season  of  tin'  year,  wiili  game  in  abuiuhmce,  but 
expecting,  and  always  receiving,  pay  therefor.  The  <mly 
uncomfortable  thing  in  regard  to  their  presence  was  a  fear 
that  the  Chippewas  might  at  any  moment  drop  on  them,  and 
in  the  I'xcitement  of  a  battle  sonu»  of  \m  might  be  injured  by 
the  reckless  use  they  would  make  of  their  guns  on  such  an 
occasion.  It  was  always  a  relief  to  us  when  they  had  linished 
their  sojourn  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Falls.  To  the  credit 
of  the  traders  in  St  Anthony,  there  was  never  a  drop  of  strong 
drink  sold  to  the  Indians,  and  as  a  eonsecpience  there  was 
never  any  of  them  intoxicated.  Numerous  as  they  were 
around  the  Falls,  I  cannot  remember  of  ever  seeing  an  Indian, 
whether  Winnebago,  Chippewa,  or  Dakota,  under  the  influ- 


128 


PERSONAL    KECOLLECTIONH 


ence  of  mi-ui-si-cn.  The  St.  Anthony  tionlers  slxoxihl  have 
credit  for  this,  for  an  Iiulian,  Avith  rare  exeei)tionH,  will  drink 
whisky  when  he  can  y^et  it. 

NAMINO   THE   TOWN. 

We  wore  agitating  the  sid)ject  of  a  name  for  onr  jirospective 
little  town.  It  was  insisted  that  Mr.  TiittU'  and  myself  shoukl 
select  a.  name  for  it.  The  newspapers  of  the  ten-itory  sug- 
gested several  uanie.s.  Gootlhue,  of  the  Pioneer,  had  no 
patience  when  any  other  name  than  All  Saints  was  talked  of. 
His  letters  to  me  were  always  thus  addressed.  Following  is 
a  specimen,  received  in  September  of  that  year :  "  I  with  my 
"  wife  and  sister,  three  children  and  servant-girl,  })ropose  to 
"diuG  with  you  to-morrow,  Tuesday,  at  All  Saints."  This 
was  a  pointer  that  I  coidd  not  well  misunderstand.  Miss 
Mary  A.  Scofield,  a  young  lady  of  much  literary  merit,  had 
resided  in  my  family  for  nearly  a  yi'ar.  She  favored  the  name 
suggested  by  Colonel  Goodhue,  and  datrd  all  her  letters  and 
articles  for  publication  from  All  Saints,  and  it  seemed  that 
this  was  to  be  the  name.  The  christening  was  i)ut  ott'  so  long 
that  when  other  settlers  came  they  had  suggestions  to  make  ; 
but  they  coidd  not  agree  what  the  name  should  be.  Hon. 
Amos  Tuck,  then  a  member  of  congress  from  New  Hampshire, 
made  me  a.  visit  during  the  discussion,  and  said,  "  whatever 
"  else  you  ilo,  give  it  a  suggestive  Indian  name.  It  will  not  be 
"  long  Ix^fore  the  red-uum  will  have  disappeared  from  the 
"  face  of  the  earth  ;  bestow  a  namt>  on  your  place  by  which 
"future  generations  will  know  that  it  originated  from  a  people 
"  who  once  were  its  sole  owners  and  occupants  ;  such  names 
"  will  be  all  that  the  aborigines  will  be  remembered  by." 
We  hesitated— and  remaiued  nameless. 


I" 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


FIRST   CLAIMS  OS  THE  WEST   SIDE  OF  8T.    ANTHONY   FALLS. 

As  the  autumn  montlis  npproai-hed,  we  made  strenuous 
efforts  to  secure  more  neighbors  on  our  side  of  the  river. 
Dr.  Hezekiah  Fletcher,  a  native  of  Maine,  with  several  friends, 
waited  on  tlie  comninnding  officer  at  Fc»rt  8nelling,  and 
received  })ermissi()n  to  occu])y  a  claim  far  l)ack,  as  it  was  then 
thought,  in  the  country.  It  is  now  known  as  J.  S.  and 
Wyman  Elliott's  addition  to  Minneapolis.  He  immediately 
erected  a  small  dwellir.g  on  it,  wliich  stood  on  the  })resent 
site  of  the  mansion  of  Daniel  Elliott,  on  Portland  avenue, 
between  F(mrteenth  and  Fifteenth  streets.  He  remained 
some  two  years  in  j)eac(»ful  jjossession  of  it,  when  he  sold  out 
to  John  L.  Tenny  who,  in  the  spring  of  1854,  disposed  of  it 
to  Dr.  Jacob  S.  Elliott.  Di".  Fletcher  received  twelve  hundred 
dollars  for  his  interest  in  the  claim,  from  Mr.  Tenny,  and  the 
latter  obtained  some  t>vo  thousand  dollars  from  Dr.  Elliott. 
This  seems  a  small  pric(»  for  land  that  is  worth  so  many  mil- 
lions to-day,  Imt  it  nnist  be  remcmbcMvd  that  the  title  to  it 
was  in  the  government,  and  there  was  a  good  deal  of  uncer- 
tainty as  to  wluMi,  if  ever,  it  ccmld  be  obtained.  To  be  sure,  a 
year  aft(M'\vards  the  laud  was  ])re-empt(>(l.  and  tluMi,  (»f  course, 
it  was  worth  as  many  thousands  as  Dr.  Ellit)t  had  jMiid  hun- 
dreds for  it  to  Mr.  Tenny. 

Dr.  Fletdun'  n^maincd  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  was 
elect(>d  a  meniber  of  the  territorial  liouse  ot  re])resentatives 
in  the  fall  of  IHi'hi  for  the  session  of  1S54,  and  was  a])pointed 
register  of  the  United  States  land-office  in  1H()3.     Upon  the 


gpgfftPMlliWIBPliillWntilWflB^^ 


130 


PEltSONAL    UEC0LLECTI0N8 


expiration  of  his  oflSee,  ho  moved  to  Si)rinji;fiel(l,  Missouri. 
In  18<>2  Mr.  Tonuy  returned  to  Iiis  native  state,  Maine.  Dr. 
Elliott  is  also  a  native  of  tlie  sanie  state.  Several  years  since 
he  moved  to  (^fdifornia,  but  still  has  larj^e  property  interests 
in  tlx'  city. 

Tiu'  boundaries  of  all  the  claims  made  in  this  vicinity  up 
to  the  fall  o(  1S54;  w(^ve  arbitrary,  as  the  land  had  not  been 
surveyed,  but  Mr.  Cliristnias,  and  other  surveyors,  traced  the 
lines  over  from  the  {government  surveys  on  the  east  side  in 
such  a  nuuiner  as  to  aH'ord  very  definite  inf<»rmation  wliei'e 
the  liu(>s  would  be  when  the  ,ti;ovei"nnu'nt  should  see  fit  to 
order  a  survey.  In  fact  tlu^  lines  Mr.  Christmas  brought 
over  proved  perfectly  correct.  The  goA'^eniment  surveys  were 
made  in  1854  j)r(>|)aratory  to  bringing  the  land  into  market. 

A  few  weeks  after  Dr.  Fletcher  ibtained  his  permit,  John 
Jackins,  formerly  of  jVI.iine,  l)ut  previous  to  his  settling  in 
St.  Anthcmy  ft)r  some  years  a  lumberman  on  the  St.  Croix, 
obtained  i)erniission  to  occujn'  the  land  immediately  in  the 
rear  of  my  claim,  and  iuilt  a  house  late  in  the  fall  on  what  is 
now  the  syndicate  b]o<'k,  Imt  he  did  not  occupy  it  until  the 
foilov;in^'  spring.    Mr.  Jm-kins  pre-empteil  his  land  April,  1855. 

Isaac  Bi'own,  wlu)  came  from  Maiiu^  in  the  spring  of  1851, 
after  Mr.  Jackins  move<l  on  his  claim,  made  some  arrange- 
mejxt  by  which  he  securtxl  several  acres  of  land  from  Mr. 
Jackins.  Mr.  Brown  eventually  built  a  large  dwelling-liouse 
on  the  corner  of  Sixth  street  «>nd  third  avenue  south.  He 
was  the  first  sheriff  of  Hennepin  county,  liaving  been  elected 
to  that  office  at  the  first  election  previous  to  the  organization 
of  the  county.  The  election  was  held  October  11th,  1852. 
Mr.  Jackins  was  chosen  one  of  the  count}^  commissioners  at 
the  same  <'lection.  Botli  Messrs.  Jackins  and  Bnnvn  lai<l  out 
their  land  in  lots  in  1855.  Mr.  Brown  <lied  n)anyy»>ars  since. 
Mr.  Jackins  was  for  many  years  a  u)erc}mnt  in  Minneapolis. 
He  now  resides  in  California. 

Warren  Bristol  catne  from  New  York  to  St.  Anthony  in  the 
8])ring  of  1851,  and  resided  with  W.  L.  Larned.  Having  )>een 
admitted  to  the  bar.  he  was  anxiotis  to  settle  in  the  territory 
and  practice  liis  profession.  Altliough  we  hud  Ijut  a  small 
jx)i)ulation  in  the  autunui  of  that  year,  the  prospects  wex*e 
favorable  for  a  large  one  in  a  short  time. 


U^ 

ex 

fo. 
it, 
a  r( 
in  t 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND    ITS   I'KOJ'LE. 


131 


[on 
lall 


Occasionally  re([uiriii,i>'  aid  in  the  way  of  advice  on  Tnnttei*s 
of  law,  I  solicited  the  removal  of  Mr.  Bristol  to  this  new 
village.  He  res{)onded,  and  late  in  the  fall  received  j)erniis- 
Bion  from  the  military  authorities  to  occupy  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  adjoining  and  west  of  Dr.  Fhtcher's  claim. 
During  the  following  winter  he  Luilt  a  house  on  his  land. 
It  occiipied  the  site  of  tlie  high-school  edifice,  l'\)urth  avenue 
south,  l>etween  Grant  and  Eleventh  streets.  Before  the  laud 
came  into  market,  he  exchanged  his  claim  for  St.  Paul  prop- 
erty. He  was  the  first  district  attorney  of  Heiniepin  county. 
He  moved  to  Red  Wing,  Ooodhue  county,  and  was  afttTwards 
a  member  of  the  lumse  of  representatives,  and  senator  from 
that  county.  He  was  appointed,  by  Pi'esident  Grant,  United 
States  supTO'Tip  judge  for  New  Mexico,  an  office  which  he  held 
for  many  years.     He  is  still  a  resident  of  that  territory. 

The  time  had  now  arrived  when  it  was  necessary  that  we 
should  take  earnest  mtvisures  in  regard  to  the  formation  of  a 
new  county  and,  if  ]>OHsible,  have  the  boundaries  of  it  fixed  so 
as  to  secure  the  future  county-seat  in  our  neighborhocxi 
We  had  been,  since  the  fall  of  1849,  a  part  of  Dakota  county, 
the  county-seat  of  which  was  at  Mendota.  An  effort  had  been 
made  a  year  before  to  secure  the  passage  of  a  bill  by  the  leg- 
islatiire  making  a  new  <'ounty,  but  it  was  deemed  premature. 

The  members  of  the  legislature  representing  this  district 
at  the  winter  session  of  1851  were  Hon.  Martin  McLeod  of 
Lac-qui-parle,  of  the  council  ;.  and  Alex.  Faribault  of  Mendota, 
and  Benjamin  H.  Randall  of  Fort  Snelling,  members  of  the 
honse  of  representative.  Mr.  McLeod  w  willing  to  assist 
us  in  the  passage  of  the  bill,  but  it  was  almost  too  mucli  to 
expect  that  we  could  rely  on  the  vote  of  Mr.  Faribault,  as  tlie 
formation  of  a  new  coiinty,  with  the  boundaries  as  we  wanted 
it.  w(tul(l  interfere  with  Mendota.  Mr.  Randall,  who  had  been 
a  resident  of  Fort  Snelling  since  the  fall  of  1849,  and  employed 
in  the  sutler's  store,  would  aid  Mr.  McLeod,  but  it  was  deemed 
best  to  wait  until  the  next  session  before  making  a  strong 
movement  in  tl>e  matter. 

As  the  (>lcction  of  a  new  delegation  to  the  legislature  for 
tlie  session  of  1852  was  approat'hing,  we  determined  to  select 
such  candidates  as  would  be  favorable  to  the  organization  of 
the  new  county.     All  were  in  favor  of  the  re-election  of  Mar- 


<9»IP 


132 


PERSONAL    llECOLLKCTIONS 


till  McLeod  to  the  council.  AVe  had  no  difficulty  in  securing 
the  renoniination  of  Mr.  Rnndall  as  a  candidate  for  hi.s  old  seat 
ill  the  house  of  representatives,  but  failed  in  the  nomination 
of  Mr.  Eli  Pettijohn,  of  Fort  Siiellinf*;,  who  was  in  favor  of  the 
niov(>meiit  :  James  Mc  ]5oal,  of  Mendota,  being  the  successful 
candidate.  The  latter  had  moved  from  St.  Paul  to  Mendota, 
since  the  close  of  the  last  session  of  the  legislature,  having 
occupied  a  seat  in  the  council  from  that  city  during  the  two 
previous  sessions.  As  a  nomination  was  equal  to  an  election, 
Messrs.  Randall  and  Boal  were  the  members  of  the  house 
for  the  session  of  1S52. 

A  strong  movement  was  made  against  us,  perhai)s  by  a 
majority  of  the  peoj)le  of  the  district,  who  were  in  favor  of 
changing  the  boundaries  of  Dakota  county  as  follows  :  com- 
mencing at  a  point  on  the  Mississippi  at  Oliver's  grove— now 
Hastings — following  up  the  channel  of  the  river  to  a  {xjint 
oj)posite  the  junction  of  Coon  creek  with  the  river  ;  thence 
running  west  a  reasonable  distance,  thence  south,  crossing  the 
Minnesota  river  at  Oak  grove,  and  so  continuing  in  a  south- 
erly line  until  a  direct  line  west  of  Oliver's  grove  was  reached; 
thence  east  to  the  i)lace  of  beginning.  This  would  make  a 
large  county,  and  Hx  the  county-seat,  for  a  while  at  least,  at 
Mendota.  On  the  other  hand,  we  wanted  a  distinctly  new 
county,  with  the  boundaries  commencing  at  the  junction  of 
the  Minnesota  with  the  Mississippi,  then  following  up  the 
river  channel  to  Crow  river  ;  thence  following  Crow  river  up 
to  the  forks  of  said  stream  ;  thence  south  to  Little  rapids  ; 
thence  down  the  river*  to  the  j)lace  of  beginning.  This  would 
make  a  good  sized  county,  which  would  contain  plenty  of 
prairie,  wood-land,  oak-openings,  find  meadow-land,  with  a 
pretty  sure  prospect  of  tlie  couiity-seat  remaining  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  It  had  become  very  evi- 
dent that  if  we  ex[)ected  to  secure  the  passage  of  such  a  bill, 
it  must  be  put  through  at  the  approaching  session,  or  post- 
poned for  several  years,  as  the  opposition  to  the  movement 
was  becoming  stronger  (>very  day.  We  could  hardly  expect 
the  cordial  support  of  representatives  from  the  larger  towns 
in  the  territory,  because  they  were  fearful' the  embryo  village 
might  be  a  rival  to  their  interests. 

The  legislature  met  in  St.  Paul,  for  the  session  of  1852,  on 


Ion 


OF  MINNEKOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


133 


the  7th  of  January.  The  coiiiicil  was  comiK)secl  of  nine  mem- 
bers, the  house  of  eighteen.  Since  the  election  the  previous 
fall,  we  had  been  hard  at  work  visiting,  soliciting  and  impor- 
tuning many  of  the  new  members,  that  when  the  proper  time 
came  they  might  aid  iis  with  their  votes.  While  the  council 
and  house  contained  but  few  members  in  each  body,  their 
homes  were  scattered  from  Pembina  to  Keed's  landing  ;  so  a 
good  deal  of  work  had  to  be  done  after  the  session  opened. 
A  lively  fight  was  made,  and  won.  I  had  been  recjuired 
to  draw  up  the  bill  just  as  we  wanted  it,  and  hand  it 
to  Martin  Mcl^eod,  who  would  present  it  to  the  council  for 
their  consideration.  In  the  bill  I  had  called  the  county 
Snelling,  in  hoiior  of  the  army  officer  who  built  Fort  Snelling, 
but  that  name  was  stricken  out  by  the  council  and  Hennepin 
inserted  instead.  Otherwise  the  bill  passed  just  as  it  was 
drawn,  including  the  important  provision,  that  the  first  board 
of  coimty  commissioners  should  name  the  county-seat.  It 
was  a  close  shave,  for  the  bill  only  passed  the  last  working 
day  of  the  session,  and  then  only  by  a  bare  majority.  It  was 
my  first  and  last  experience  in  lobbying  in  a  legislative  body. 
Aside  from  the  exi)ense,  anxiety  and  suspense,  during  the 
pendency  of  the  bill,  a  lobbyist  is  liable  to  lose  his  self- 
respect.  But  the  passage  of  the  bill  was  everything  to  us, 
and  to  those  who  should  follow  us.  The  vei-y  itl-^'a  of  being 
obliged  to  cross  the  prairie  and  the  Minnesota  river,  nine 
miles  to  Mendota,  for  county  business,  such  as  to  get  a  deed 
recorded,  and  the  like,  was  not  to  be  thought  of  for  a  moment. 

It  is  greatly  to  he  regretted  that  the  boundaries  of  the 
county  could  not  have  been  sutfered  to  remain  as  they  were, 
but  on  February  20,  iHaa,  a  large  part  of  Carver  county  was 
ciat  out  of  H<'nnepin  county  by  legislative'  enactment,  and 
Chaska  was  selected  as  the  county-seat  of  tlie  new  county. 

Dui'ing  the  fall  of  1851  our  side  of  the  river  received  a  val- 
uable addition  in  the  pers»m  of  Allen  Harm«)u  who,  with  his 
family  came  fi-om  Maine.  He  was  a  man  of  gn'at  worth,  and 
we  were  pleased  to  have  him  for  a  iieiglibor,  though  not  a 
very  near  one,  as  his  chiim  was  back  some  distance  from  the 
river.  He  continually  resided  on  it,  from  a  few  days  after  the 
con»manding  officer  at  the  Fort  granted  liim  permission  to 
take  it,  until  his  death  some  five  y(>ars  ago.     He  hail  laid  it  all 


mi 

i: 

v.iS  1 

I 

.' 

J 

i! 

i 

)FS;i 


134 


PEKHONAL    liKCOLLECTIONS 


out  into  building-lots,  which  linve  long  sineo  been  occupied 
by  residences.  The  First  Bai)tist  church  building,  the  new 
AthenaDuni  library,  and  many  other  beautiful  and  costly  build- 
ings, public  and  jjrivate,  have  been  erected  on  Mr.  Harmon's 
old  claim.  This  Mas  the  last  claim  made  in  1851,  on  the  mil- 
itary reservation  im  the  west  side  of  the  river,  except  the  one 
made  by  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  and  he  did  not  move  on  it  until  the 
next  spring. 

Dr.  Ames  arrived  from  Roscoe,  Illinois,  on  the  11th  day  of 
October.  He  was  at  the  time  one  of  the  state  senators  from 
Illinois.  He  came  up  on  a  prospecting  tour,  and  was  so  well- 
pleased  with  the  country  that  he  concludiMl  to  remain  here. 
On  the  14th  of  October  he  made  an  arrangement  with  Colonel 
Anderson  D.  Nelson,  U.  S.  A.,  then  a  second-lieutenant  at 
Fort  Snelling,  tt)  make  the  selection  of  a  cpiai'ter-section  of 
land  and  occupy  it.  Dr.  Ames  selected  the  land  which  now 
includes  the  court-house  and  jail.  His  first  house  was  built 
on  the  same  block  which  the  county  buildings  now  occupy. 
The  land  was  then  densely  covered  with  prickly-pear,  hazel- 
brush,  and  other  shrubbery,  which  nuide  a  considerable  part 
of  it  almost  impassable.  Dr.  Ames  resided  in  St.  Anthony, 
and  practiced  medicine  with  Dr.  Murphy,  until  the  arrival  of 
his  family  in  the  spring  of  1852,  when  he  immediately  moved 
on  his  claim. 

Great  preparations  had  been  made  during  the  summer  and 
fall  by  the  lumbermen  for  active  operations  in  the  womls  the 
coming  winter  of  1851  and  1852.  The  work  was  mostly  con- 
fined to  the  two  branches  of  Rum  river.  In  addition  to  the 
mills  at  St.  Anthony,  steam  saw-mills  had  been  built  at  St. 
Paul,  and  at  several  other  points  down  the  river.  There  was 
every  jjrospect  in  the  fall  of  1851  that  there  would  be  a  large 
local  demand  for  logs  in  the  spring  of  1852.  Anumg  the 
lumbermen  who  had  teams  in  the  woods  in  the  wintei",  from 
St.  Anthony,  were  Messrs.  Farnham,  Stimson,  Stanchfield, 
Hnse,  Chambers,  Pratt,  Stevens,  Lennon,  Leoiuird  Day  and 
sons,  Edgar  Folsimi,  and  Stephen  Cobb ;  from  St.  Paul, 
Rel)ert  O'Neill.  Large  (luantities  of  supjjlies  for  luml)ermen 
had  been  purchased  in  the  lower  country,  during  the  fall,  and 
ti'ansiK)rted  up  the  river  before  the  close  of  navigation.  As 
the  banks  of  the  two  branches  of  Rum  river  were  swarming 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND   ITH   PEOPLE. 


135 


1? 

1 

'   ,1 
1 

i! 

f 

with  men,  it  necessarily  required  a  large  amount  of  provis- 
ions. Employment  was  given  to  all  the  teamsters  in  the 
country  to  haul  these  supplies  from  St.  Anthony  and  St.  Paul 
to  the  pineries.  It  required  about  a  week  to  nuike  the  round 
trip.  The  head  tote-teamster  so  called,  was  Otis  C.  Whitney, 
who  had  similar  experience  in  Maine.  He  followed  teaming 
for  several  years  around  the  Falls,  when  he  emigrated  to 
Montana,  early  in  the  sixties,  and  is  now  one  of  the  cattle- 
kings  of  that  territory.  These  tote-teams  had  a  hard,  cold 
time  of  it  during  these  early  years  of  lumber  operations  in 
the  territory.  They  were  required  to  l)e  on  the  road  every 
day,  as  it  was  necessary  that  the  camps  should  be  supplied 
with  provisions.  They  had,  most  of  the  way,  poor  acccmimo- 
dations,  fretpiently  being  obliged  to  camp  out  in  the  coldest 
of  weather.  Elk  river  was  the  only  place  where  good,  warm, 
comfortable  quarters  could  be  obtained,  Pierre  Bottineau,  of 
St.  Anthony,  having  built  a  large  hotel  there  the  previous 
year.  These  teamsters  were,  as  they  should  have  been,  paid 
liberal  wages. 

Continuing  the  list  of  those  who  became  early  residents  on 
the  military  reservation  opposite  St.  Anthony,  we  mention 
Edward  Murphy,  who  came  from  (^uincy,  Illinois,  t(i  St. 
Anthony,  in  1850,  obtained  a  permit,  in  September,  to  occupy 
a  quarter-section  of  land  down  the  river  adjoining  John  P. 
Miller's  claim,  but  he  did  not  take  possession  by  actual  resi- 
dence until  May,  1852.  He  immediately  im{)i"oved  consider- 
able land ;  had  one  field  especially  prepared  for  a  nursery  and 
orchard  which,  in  due  time,  at  great  exjjense,  was  occu')ied  as 
such,  but  the  fruit-trees  and  nursery-stock  pi^rished  from 
some  unaccountable  reason,  and  after  a  few  years  he  aban- 
doned trying  to  raise  rpples  and  the  larger  fruit  raised  in  his 
Illinois  home.  Mr.  Murjjhy  was  tlie  pion<>er  in  the  nursery 
business  in  this  state,  and  like  many  others  who  sul)se(piently 
engaged  in  the  same  enterprise,  lost  all  th(>  money  employed 
in  the  undertaking,  besides  the  work  in  caring  ft)r  the  trees, 
and  the  use  of  the  land. 

Anson  Northrup  made  a  claim  immediately  ui)  the  river, 
al>ove  the  Smith  or  old-mill  claim,  of  a  fractional  lot  contain- 
ing a  few  acres.  He  was  a  i)artial  resident  on  it  from  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1851,  to  June,  1852  ;  from  that  time  he  resided  on 


136 


I'EIWONAL    11EC0LLECTI0N8 


it  constantly  until  he  j)ie-ompted  it  in  1853.  This  claim 
includes  the  present  depot  and  yards  of  the  Milwaukee  rail- 
road. Mr.  Northrup  built  a  large  house,  in  which  the  United 
States  courts  were  held.  When  Hennepin  Lodge  of  Free 
Masons  received  its  dispensation  its  sessions  were  held  in  the 
house.  Mr.  Northrup  also  erected  a  smaller  house  near  the 
site  of  the  present  woolen-factory  storehouse.  In  this  build- 
ing the  first  public-school  was  held,  commencing  December 
3,  1852.  The  teacher  was  Miss  Mary  E.  Miller,  now  Mrs. 
Marshall  Robinson.  In  this  building  Rev.  J.  C.  Whitney 
was  installed  pastor  of  the  first  Presbyterian  church,  in  June, 
1853,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Chester  of  Buffalo,  New  York.  There 
were  present  on  that  memorable  occasion  other  distinguished 
divines  of  the  Presbyterian  order,  such  as  Rev.  Dr.  Hopkins, 
professor  of  Auburn  Theological  Seminary  ;  Rev.  Dr.  Fowler, 
Utica ;  Rev.  Mr.  Spencer,  Milwaukee  ;  besides  our  home 
members.  Rev.  Gideon  H.  Pond,  Oak  Grove ;  Rev.  E.  D. 
Neill,  St.  Paid  ;  with  two  elders,  Governor  William  Holcomb 
of  Stillwater,  and  Dr.  Alfred  E.  Ames  of  Minneapolis.  Dr. 
Ames,  Daniel  M.  Coolbaugh,  and  E.  N.  Barber,  were  elected 
elders. 

Philip  Bassett,  in  May,  1852,  made  a  claim  to  the  part  of 
the  city  known  as  Hoag's  addition  to  Minneapolis.  He  only 
had  it  for  a  few  weeks  when,  June  10th  the  same  year,  he  sold 
it  for  one  hundred  dollars  to  Charles  Hoag.  Messrs.  Bassett 
and  Hoag  were  born  in  the  same  town  in  New  Hampshire, 
and  were  school-boys  togetlier.  Mr.  Bassett  went  to  Califor- 
nia, and  Mr.  Hong  opened  a  farm  on  the  claim,  which  con- 
tained one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  now  in  tlie  very  heart  of 
the  city  ;  the  West  hotel  lieing  Imilt  on  it.  Previous  to  com- 
ing to  the  territory,  Mr.  Hftag  had  been,  for  a  long  time, 
principal  in  one  of  the  Philadelphia  high  scliools,  but  having 
been  raised  on  n  farm,  and  move  or  less  connected  with  farm- 
ing while  teaching,  he  made  a  successful  farmer.  Few  of  the 
present  generation  are  aware  that  this  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  were  at  one  time  sold  for  the  i)itiful  sum  of  one 
hundred  dollars  :  hnrdly  the  price  now  for  an  inch  on  sohk^ 
of  the  lots  on  Hennepin  avenue.  Mr.  Hoag  became  one  of 
the  most  useful  citi/(>ns  of  the  place. 

Previous  to  Mr.  Hoag's  jnirchase,  Joel  B.  Bassett,  a  brother 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


137 


of  Philip,  took  up  a  quarter-section  above  tlie  creek  that 
bears  his  name,  and  immtKliately  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 
Having  perfected  his  arrangements  in  the  fall  of  1851,  in 
regard  to  it,  at  Fort  Snelling,  he  moved  on  it  in  May,  1852, 
and  for  several  years,  and  in  fact  until  it  be(!anie  too  vjduable 
for  that  purpose,  occuijied  it  exclusively  for  farming.  He 
was  as  good  a  farmer  as  he  has  since  pro^•e(l  to  be  a  lumber- 
man and  business  man. 


If 

1  ■ 

'    t 

;  1     ill 

1 

|!1  'ijj 

■■I 

1 

■          } 

1 

i 

'i 

V 

: 

,  i; 

'             i 

AN   EAKLY   LAWSUIT  AND  JURY-THIAL. 


Soon  after  Mr.  Bassett  made  his  claim,  David  Bickford  and 
Isaac  Ives  Lewis  discovered  a  few  fractional  lots  between  the 
boundaries  of  Mr.  Hoag's  and  Mr.  Bassett's  land,  which  they 
insisted  were  not  (covered  by  the  permits  of  either  of  the  above- 
named  gentlemen,  and  immediately  occupied  the  disputed 
territory  by  building  a  house  on  the  present  site  of  Thomas 
Lowry's  office,  Second  street  and  Third  avenue  north,  and 
in  spite  of  a  lawsuit,  and  against  the  command  of  the  officers 
at  Fort  Snelling,  succeeded  in  pre-empting  it  in  April,  1855. 
At  that  periotl  there  was  an  imi)ortant  law  in  the  territory  for 
the  protection  of  squatters  on  govenuuent  land  under  a  cluip- 
ter  entitled  "  forcible  entry  and  detainer".  In  pursuance  of 
the  provisions  of  this  law,  a  suit  was  brought  against  Mr. 
Bickford,  after  the  organization  of  the  (tounty,  before  Justice 
Hedderly.  A  jury  was  called,  and  after  a  tedious  trial  of 
several  days,  the  case  was  submitted  to  the  jixry.  There  being 
no  room  in-doors  where  the  court  was  held,  the  jury  was 
obliged  to  retire  outside  to  deliberate  on  the  merits  of  the 
case.  It  being  in  mid-winter,  of  course  the  ^n  ather  was  cold, 
and  the  jury  suffered  from  the  low  temperature.  There  was 
not  much  comfort  in  discussing  the  evidence  with  the  mercury 
pretty  near  zero,  and  the  wind  coming  down  fr< »m  the  north 
at  the  rate  of  about  forty  knots,  which  almost  congealed  the 
breatli  as  each  of  the  members  of  the  jury  t-ndeavored  to 
explain  to  the  others  the  way  in  which  he  understood  tlie 
evidence.  After  an  inetl'e',  ti;al  attempt  t«>  agree  upon  a  ver- 
dict, one  of  the  jury  declared  he  had  been  t)ut  in  tlie  cold  long 
enough  ;  he  would  not  be  frozen  into  a  verdict  contrary  to 
his  understanding  of  the  matter  ;  and  although  he  was  alone 


138 


I'EUSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


in  his  opinion  ns  to  tlio  tnorits  of  tlu>  cnso,  and  as  to  the 
proper  verdit't  they  shcmld  render,  lie  wonld  not  retnrn  with 
tlieni  to  the  jiiHtite'H  otfice,  hut  wouhl  immediately  h'Hve  them 
to  solve  the  (piestion  hy  themselveH,  and  retnrn  Bnch  a  verdict 
IIS  they  had  a  mind  to.  Ho  then  made  a  bee-line  at  an  rapid 
a  pace  as  his  half-fro/en  lind)s  wtmhl  jx'rmit  to  his  shanty- 
home  across  the  prairie,  leaving  the  other  jurors  in  a  state  of 
astonishment.  They  immediately  reported  proj^ress  and  the 
fact  of  the  elopement  of  tme  of  their  number,  to  Justice  Hed- 
derly,  and  although  Judge  Atwater,  the  i)laintiff's  attorney, 
demanded  a  writ  of  attachment  to  be  issued  by  the  court 
against  the  deliiupnMit  jni'or  for  contempt  of  court,  and  that 
it  be  given  to  Sheriff  Brown  for  service,  the  justice  denied 
the  motion,  and  a  record  of  disagreement  by  the  jury  was 
entered  in  the  case. 

This  was  the  first  jury-trial  in  any  jiistice  coiirt  in  Hen- 
nepin county,  and  the  ending  of  it  was  so  ludicn)us,  and  so 
different  from  what  the  ])laintitf  had  been  familiar  with  in 
condxicting  cases  in  the  courts  in  his  New  England  home, 
that  he  never  had  the  courage  to  nu>ve  for  a  new  trial.  He 
obtained  a  slight  satisfaction  in  an  encounter  with  the  tres- 
passer, in  a  snow-drift  on  the  disputed  claim,  not  long  after 
the  farce  of  the  trial. 

Some  of  these  lawsuits  on  the  frontier  were  conducted  in  a 
queer  way,  l)efore  justices  of  the  peace  ;  but  no  one  could 
find  fault  with  the  first  two  justices,  Hedderly  and  Fletcher. 
They  wen>  lunie.st,  just,  able  men,  and  conducted  all  trials 
brought  before  them  in  an  impartial,  ])roper  manner  ;  but 
there  were  no  conveniences  for  holding  courts  in  those  days  ; 
and  then  the  litigants,  lawyers,  and  jurors,  were  all  strangers 
to  each  others. 

Mr.  Lewis,  who  was  interested  with  Mr.  Bickford  in  the 
claim,  remained  in  St.  Anthony  until  1854,  when  he  removed 
to  Minneapolis  and  1  milt  a  large  store  and  dwelling  on  the  lots 
now  occupied  as  a  market  by  Harlow  A.  Gale.  In  the  fall  of 
that  year  he  filled  his  store  with  goods,  and  occupied  the 
dwelling  with  his  family. 

Mr.  Bassett  was  our  tii'st  judge  of  probate,  a  member  of  the 
legislature,  Chippewa  agent,  and  occupied  other  high  trusts  in 
the  gift  of  the  people,  in  a  most  satisfactory  manner.     He  is 


OF   MINNKSOTA   AND    ITS   I'KOl'LE. 


i:v.) 


1  1 

'i 

l!: 

.1 

l' 

- 

nlwnys  n  friciul  of  tli«'  city  and  tlu'connty.  Mr.  IJickt'onl  wold 
out  his  interest  in  city  j)ro|)(M"ty  to  Jiui^c  IJcclu',  many  years 
since,  and  removed  to  Vineland,  New  Jersey. 

]Mr.  Lewis  for  a  lony;  time  transacted  a  lar^e  m<M"cantile  jind 
general  Imsiiiess  in  Minneapolis,  which  lie  closed  (uit  in 
1859,  and  transferred  his  home  to  Watertown,  in  Carver 
(•<mnty  where,  in  company  with  his  brother  E.  F.  Ijcwis,  he 
enijajj;ed  in  meicantile  jjnrsnits,  and  huilt  a  tlonr-mill,  and 
j)ot  and  pearl  asliery.  At  one  time  he  was  a  member  of  the 
lei^ishitnre  from  Carver  comity.  He  is  now  a  resident  of 
LUvho,  and  presi(h*nt  of  one  of  the  national  banks  in  one  of 
the  most  prosj)erons  cities  of  that  territory. 

There  was  np  to  this  time  several  other  valuable  claims  on 
the  military  reseiMition  that  had  not  been  taken,  and  as  the 
c'ommandinf^  officer  at  Fort  Snellin^  had  seeniinjj;ly  become 
indifferent  to  their  occupation,  people  flocked  from  dill'erent 
])arts  of  the  territory  to  take  them.  Claim-houses  dotted  tl»e 
l)rairie  between  the  town  and  Lake  Calh(mn.  A  chan^^e  in 
the  commandinjj:  officer,  just  as  the  houses  were  completed, 
made  a  chan^'e  in  the  management  of  the  reservation.  All 
who  did  not  liave  permits,  with  one  or  two  <'xcepti(ms,  were 
ordered  to  leave  the  reservation  and  remove  their  buildings 
and  lumber.  The  order  was  obeyed,  but  it  was  an  inijust  one, 
and  caused  fj;reat  injury  to  the  squatters,  thoufj^h  eventually 
a  good  many  of  them,  after  congress  j)assed  the  l)ill  reducing 
the  reservation,  held  on  to  the  boundaries  of  the  land  they 
liad  made  previously,  and  ©btuined  it  from  the  government. 


Ill 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

CLAIMS  MADl  AFTEU   I'FIi:  TliAVEUSK  DKS  SlorX  TREATY  OF  1851. 

Tlie  Travei-He  (k's  Sioux  Treaty  witli  the  Iiulians  Imvinp^ 
IxHMi  jwrfected,  iMTsoii.s  staking  honu's  made  hatite  to  ^;et  hold 
of  the  best  locations  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Falls.  Col. 
Emaniiel  Case  arrived  in  the  spring  of  1851  and  opened  a  store 
in  St.  Anthony,  in  connection  with  his  son,  Sweet  W.  Case. 
They  came  from  Michigan.  Colonel  Case  surveyed  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  immediately  north  of  !Mr.  liassett's, 
on  the  river,  and  tiletl  a  claim  on  it.  Peter  Poncin,  a  pioneer 
merchant  of  Stillwater,  wanted  the  same  land.  He  had  taken 
out  a  i)ermit  io  trade  with  the  Indians,  built  and  opened  a 
store,  but  as«the  Indians  had  left,  he  had  no  customers.  The 
dispute  was  settled  at  thegovenunent  hi nd-ottice,  and  Colonel 
Case  was  the  winner.  In  March,  1852,  he  was  greatly  afflicted 
bythe  lossi>f  his  youngest  .son,  Janu'S  (iale  Case,  nearly  twenty- 
one  yeai*s  old.  The  young  nuin  fell  through  a  watering-place 
cut  in  the  ice,  near  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  was 
drowned.  This  was  the  second  deatli  on  this  side  of  the  river. 
Colonel  Case  liad  interested  with  him  Alexander  Moore,  als(» 
from  Michigan.  A  good  j»art  of  thelandwasundercultivation 
for  several  years  when,  in  1855,  it  was  laid  out  into  lots  and 
known  as  a  i)art  of  liassett,  Case  and  Moore's  addition  to  the 
village  of  Minneapolis.  Moore  ultijuately  became  a  nu'r- 
chant  in  Minneajnilis,  and  transacted  a  large  business,  and 
contributed,  as  Colonel  Case  did,  largely  in  building  up  the  city, 
initsearly  days.  ^Ir.  MotA-e  moved  to  Sauk  Center,  in  Steams 
county,  many  years  since,  and  has  rej)resented  that  county  in 
sevei'ul  sessions  of  the  legislature.     Colonel  Case  frequently 


OF  MIXXEHOTA  AN'D  ITS  PEOPLE. 


141 


held  liigh  truHtw,  airl  difd,  j^nwitlv  rctjjn'ttcd,  in  tlio  suinn\»M- 
oflHTl. 

In  1851,  throuj^li  an  Hrrnr<>i»'nn'nt  with  the  Indian  a^^ont, 
Joseph  Mt'nard()('cU|)i<'dIandn«'ar  that  of  Colonel  CaKc.  After 
the  treaty  he  came  in  possession  of  it,  and  tlie  tract  is  now 
known  as  Menard's  addition  to  Minneap<iiis.  Mr.  Menard  is 
Htill  n  resident  (»f  the  city. 

Charles  W.  Christnuis  followed  Mr.  Menard  on  the  Indian 
lands,  securing'  a  valualdt'  claim  in  the  fall  of  IH'A,  whi<'h  lu' 
improved  in  1852.  He  laid  it  ont  into  lots  as  ChristnuLs's 
addition  to  MinneaiM)lis.  His  son-in  law,  Isaac  I.  Lewis,  and 
nephew,  ('aptain  J.  ('.  Heno,  becanu"  int«>rested  in  it  wit!:  him. 
Mr.  Christmas  was  the  father  of  n  lar<.je  fandly.  His  wife  an<l 
many  of  his  childn'ii  preceded  lum  to  the  spirit-land.  .  Tin 
three  claims  of  Colonel  Case,  Menard,  and  Christmas,  were 
th(>  first  ma(U'  (.  .  the  Indian  lands  in  this  vicinity. 

A  few  more  pennits  were  {jjranted  in  1852  by  the  new  com- 
mandini^  otfi<'er  at  Fort  Snellin^.  Martin  Layman  came  from 
Illinois  and  located  on  the  land,  a  part  of  which  is  now  known 
as  Layman's  cemetery.  When  surveyed  by  the  government, 
it  proved  to  be  included  in  a  sch(K>l  section.  In  WoH,  after 
the  admission  of  Minnesota  as  a  state,  our  senators,  Henry  M. 
Rice  and  General  James  Shields,  and  our  nu'nd)ers  in  the  lower 
house  of  confj;ress,  Jam«'s  M.  Cavanau^;h,  and  Wni.  AV.  Phelps, 
obtained  the  j)assa,ife  of  a  bill  l)y  coufj^ress  jjjranting  Mr.  Lay- 
man the  jn-ivileye -^^  ■  ji-uig  the  land  in  the  same  May  that 
other  lands  are  secured  to  settlers.  This  was  on  the  jjfround 
that  Mr.  Layman  had  settled  on  them  previous  to  the  survey, 
and  that  settlers  were  not  8up|M)sed  to  kn<nv  that  the  sections 
sixteen  and  thirty-six  on  the  military  reservation  were  to  be 
set  apart  for  school  jmrposes.  The  state  was  authorized,  by 
the  bill  that  jjassed  contjress,  to  make  selecticm  of  other 
fjjoveniment  lands  in  the  place  of  those  clainied  by  Mr. 
Layman. 

AVaterman  Stinson  came  from  Maine  to  St.  Anthony. 
Beinj^  a  farmer  in  his  native  state,  he  was  desirous  of  securint;- 
a  pood  farm  in  Miniu'sota.  Most  of  the  inimijj;ra<its  to  the 
Falls  from  Maine  had  been  en^a^ed  in  the  hunber  trade  ; 
hence  they  followed  that  business  here,  and  when  a  farmer 
from  that  state  made  his  appearance,  we  were  all  anxious  to 


■""*«"■ 


142 


I'KltSONAl.    i;r.(t)I,LE("TIONS 


si'c  tliat  1k'  wuh  \v«'11  Hfttltnl.  Mr.  Stiiiwoii  whs  the  father  of 
nuuKMous  ^irlH  and  boys  of  induHtrious  ImbitH,  capable  of 
working  a  larjjfi*  farm,  and  not  liaviug  the  h.'ast  knowledge  of 
speeiilption,  he  wanted  a  liome  in  the  eountry  ;  so  he  wus 
placed  on  the  bank  of  Bassett's  creek,  where  there  waH  not 
the  leant  jiroKpect  that  he  would  ever  be  disturbed  by  the 
extension  of  the  village  into  his  neighborhood.  In  aihlition 
to  Ids  •■Ididreu,  he  had  his  aged  ])Hrents  to  sni^jjort.  He 
o[)en(Ml  a  large  fi»'ld  foi-  grain.  His  natural  hay-meadows  on 
the  creek  wcm'c  extensive  and  productive.  His  son-in-lnw, 
Mr.  Brennan,  made  a  i-laim,  at  the  same  time,  adjoining  him, 
which  in  after  years  became  the  property  of  Franklin  Steele. 
Mr.  Stinson  could  not  turn  the  tide  of  the  oxpjinsicm  of  the 
city,  which  sckmi  swallowe*!  u{)  his  farm,  and  is  now  k^n^wn  as 
Stinson's  additi«m  to  Miinieajjolis.  He  died  wn-eral  years 
since. 

Judge  Isaac  Atwater,  i)i  June  1851,  becam<>  interested  in 
the  military  res<*rvation,  only  for  a  day,  when  he  sold  out  for 
ten  dollars.  He  afterwards  owned  a  large  share  of  the  Miller 
claim. 

John  (Jeorge  Lennon  obtained  permiHsion  to  occupy  the 
land  adjoining  Mr.  Laynmn's,  which  is  included  in  J.  G. 
Ijennon's  out-lots  addition  to  the  city.  C'ajjtain  Benjamin  B. 
Parker  was  fortuiuite  in  securing  a  tpuirter-section  of  land 
east  of  Mr.  Layman's,  whi(rh  is  abBorl)ed  by  his  son's,  the 
Parkers'  addition  to  Minneai)oli8.  Sweet  W.  Case  came  in  for 
a  ([uarter-section,  as  did  Chandler  Hutxdiins,  back  of  Mr. 
Lennon's.  Mr.  <^ase  i)urchased  tlie  Hutchins  pre-emption. 
Mr.  Case's  original  farm  is  Lawrence  and  Eeev(»'s  addition  to 
the  city.  While  (K'cu])ied  by  Mr.  ('ase  those  '•!,".ims  were 
greatly  improved,  most  of  the  whole  breadth  of  the  half- 
section  being  under  cultivation.  Mr.  Hutchins's  t)ld  claim 
is  included  in  Chicago.  Lake  Park,  and  several  otlun*  addi- 
tions. Edgar  Folsom,  through  the  gooil  will  of  the  military 
authorities,  canu»  in  possession  of  a  quarter-section  in  the 
neighborh(»od  of  Mr.  Parker's,  which  eventually  became  the 
home  of  Nathan  Ilobert.s,  and  is  now  included  iu  Newell, 
Carr  and  Baldwin's  addition  to  the  city. 

Mrs,  Judith  Ann  Sayer,  u  widow  lady  from  New  York, 
occupied  a  claim    near  Mr.  Case's,  which   is   now   Euctis's 


OF   MINXEHOTA   AND    ITS    PEOPLE. 


143 


mlditiou  to  M  innwipolis.     About  this  time  Mrs.  Snyer  sold 
luT  cluiin  and  inarriod  AVillittm  Dickie  o£  Lako  Harriet. 

Mr.  Kobert  Blaisdi'll  and  liis  three  sons,  John  T.,  William, 
and  llobert,  Jr.,  became  the  tnvjiers  of  claims,  all  now  known, 
as  follows  :  K(»b(M't  IJlaisdell,  senior,  Fhmr  C'ity  addition  to 
Minneai)olis  ;  John  T.  lilaisdell  i)re-em})ti(m,  Jivhii  T.  Blais- 
dell's  addition  to  the  city  ;  William  Blaisdell's  land,  Bloom- 
in^ton  addition  to  the  city  ;  and  llobert  Blaisdell,  Jr.'s  old 
farm  is  now  Lindsley  and  Linj.?erfeltor's  addition.  John  S. 
Mnnu,  William  Dickie,  Eli  Petti  John,  L.  N.  Parker,  Henry 
Anj^fcU,  and  Henry  Heap,  occujjied  beautiful  lands  on  the 
shores  of  and  near  l^akes  Calhoun  and  Harriet,  which  are  in 
the  several  llemin.u;ton  cdditicms  to  the  city.  James  A. 
Lennon,  and  JJeacon  Oliver,  had  claims  near  them  ;  the  lat- 
ter is  now  Oliver's  Park  addition  :  the  former  is  in  the  Rem- 
ington addition.  Charles  Moseau's  old  claim,  the  site  of  the 
former  Dakota  chieftain's  residence,  is  now  the  beautiful 
grtmnds  of  Lakewood  cenietcMy. 

Edmond  Bresette  occupied  the  east  shore  of  Lake  Calhoun, 
})ut,  by  a  special  act  of  conjj;ress,  Itev.  Dr.  E.  G.  dear  became 
the  proprietor,  and  it  is  now  included  mostly  in  Calhoun 
Park.  (reorjj;e  E.  Huey  had  the  claim  east  of  Dr.  E.  G. 
Gear's,  which  is  *.i  one  of  the  Remin{j:ton  additions  ;  and 
David  (forham  had  the  claim  north  borderin^f  on  Lake  of 
the  Isles,  which  he  sold  to  11.  P.  Russell,  who  has  made  out 
of  it  several  additions  to  the  city  ;  and  (Jeorfj;e  Pai-k's  claim 
east  of  the  Isl(>s,  which  is  now  Lake  of  the  Isles  addition,  and 
N,  E.  Stoddai-d  pi'(>-empted  the  adjoininj^  claim  ;  then  John 
Green  mad(>  a  claim,  a  portion  of  which  land  is  called  Lake 
View  addition.  Z.  M.  Brown  and  Hill  made  the  next  claims, 
which  comprise  the  j)resent  Groveland  addition.  Dennis 
Peter's  claim  is  known  asSunnyside  adtlition. 

William  Worthins^ham's  old  chiim  l)ecame  the  property  of 
John  C.  OswaUl,  and  it  now  bears  the  novel  name  of  Bryn 
Mawr  addition.  A  little  further  out  William  Byrnes  made  a 
beautiful  home,  and  was  elected  sheriff  of  Heinie})in  county, 
but  died  l)efore  his  term  (»f  ofhce  expired.  This  old  home- 
stead of  Shei'iff  Byrnes  is  now  Maben,  Whit«^  and  Le  Bron's 
addition  to  the  city  ;  while  James  Byrne's  laud  is  included  in 
the  Oak  Park  addition. 


144 


PEHHOXAL    RKCOIJ-KrTIONS 


Tliore  wore  sevornl  other  clainiH  mntle  hi  1852  nnd  1853  in 
wluit  muy  now,  porlinj:..,  o<»  classed  as  north  Minneapolis  ; 
some  on  the  military  lands  ;  others  on  the  (HMh'd  Indian 
lands.  Amcm.if  them  were  those  of  (^Imrles  Farrington  ;  Eli- 
jah Austin's,  now  Sherlmrne  nnd  Beebe's  addition  ;  F.  X. 
('repau's,  now  ('re|)au's  addition  ;  Stei)hen  and  Rufus  Pratt 
l)oth  laid  <mt  their  claims  in  <'ity  lots,  one  Stephen  Pratt's 
and  the  other  Rnfns  Pratt's  addition.  The  Ixniutifnl  Oak- 
Lake  addition  is  jnostly  on  the  pre-emption  of  Thomas  Stin- 
son.  (Vntral  Park  is  on  the  original  land  of  Joseph  S.  John- 
son. Asa  Fletcher  and  liis  brother  Ti'oothy  owned  the  hind 
ont  on  Portland  and  Park  av(mues,  now  Merriam  and  Lowry's 
a(hliti(m,  while  William  Gt)odwin  owned  what  is  now  the 
Evergreen  addition.  Bristol's  ohl  claim  was  pre-empted  by 
Jackson,  and  is  now  known  as  Jackson,  Daniels  and  Whitney's 
and  Sny(h>r  and  Company's  additions.  H.  H.  Shepley's  claim 
is  divided  among  several  additions,  Viola  inchidecl 

In  the  more  sontherly  jwrtion  of  the  city  Andnnv  J.  Foster 
and  Charles  Gilpatrick  had  valuabh*  farms,  which  are  now 
in('luded  in  the  additions  that  bear  their  nameiv  Deacon 
Snlly's  old  claim  is  now  on  the  map  as  Sully  and  Murphy's 
subdivision.  The  original  Falls  City  farm  of  Henry  Keith, 
made  in  1852,  is  now  owned  by  Judge  Atwater  and  Judge 
C  E.  Flandreau,  which  is  a  part  of  Falls  City  and  Riverside 
Short^Line  addition,  and  Dorwin  Moulton's  claim  isDorman's 
additicm  to  the  city.  William  G.  Muri)hy's  ])re-emption  is 
composed  in  part  of  Cook's  Riverside  addition,  and  Alfred 
Mur])hy's  claim  is  included  in  the  Fair-Groiuid  addition. 
Hiram  liurlingham's  farm  is  included  in  Morrison  and  Love- 
joy's  addition.  Simeon  Odell's  old  home  is  now  Palmer's 
addition,  and  V].  A.  Hodsdon's  farm  is  the  Southside  addition 
to  the  city,  ('aptain  Arthur  H.  Mills's  and  J.  Draper's  claims 
were  where  th(>  residence  of  Hon.  D.  INIorrison  is  now. 
Galpin's  and  other  additions  are  also  ])orti(m8  of  their  old 
homc.s.  Charles  Brown's  and  Frank  Rollin's  claims  are 
Rollin'sSj'cond  addition,  andSimon  liean'sfann  is  Minnehaha 
Driving  Park.  J«)hn  Wass's  farm  is  a  j)ortion  of  Wass's 
adtlition.  Ard  (jodfrey's  old  home  has  been  transferred  to 
the  Soldiers'  Home,  and  Amasa  Craft's  farm  is  Munroe 
Brother's  addition.     Hiram    Van    Nest's   homestead    is  A'an 


OF    MINNESOTA    AM>    ITS    PEOPLE. 


145 


Nest's  addition.  Willinm  G.  Moft'ett's  claim  is  udw  Minne- 
haha ParL  Philander  Prescott's  claim  is  known  as  Annie  E. 
Steele's  out-lots  addition. 

.  Among  the  orij^inal  settlers  who  occupied  claims  in  1851 
and  1852,  and  whose  old  homes  are  not  laid  out  into  city- 
lots,  are  those  of  Colonel  S.  Woods,  William  Finch, 
Samuel  Stough,  S.  S.  Crowell,  Mark  Bahlwin,  .  AVilliam 
Hanson,  J.  J.  Dinsmore,  "Willis  (J.  Motrett,  Chris  (Jarvey, 
H.  S.  Atwood,  Thomas  Pierce,  and  Titiis  Pettijohn.  I  think 
Messrs.  Pierce,  William  G.  Moffett,  the  Blaisdell  Brothers, 
and  Christopher  C.  Garv(>y  are  about  the  only  ones  who 
now  own  any  considerable  portion  of  those  original  i)re- 
emptions.  The  entries  made  by  A.  K.  Hartwell  and  Calvin 
Church,  in  the  near  vicinity  of  the  Falls,  are  included  in  the 
original  town-plat  of  Minneapolis.  Among  those  who  were 
residents  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  in  the  fall  of  1850,  were 
Simon  Stevens,  Henry  and  Thomas  Chambers,  and  Horace 
Webster.  They  made  claims  elsewhere.  Levi  Smith,  Edward 
Smith,  Major  A.  M.  Fridley,  R.  P.  Russell,  and  George  E. 
Huey,  became  interc'sted  witii  Ro])ert  Smith  in  the  goveru- 
ernment  mill-jjroperty  early  in  1851.  Levi  Smith  was  a 
brother-in-law  of  Judge  A.  G.  C'hatfield.  He  ncvcv  resided 
here.  He  was  the  first  regist<»r  of  tlie  U.  S.  land-office  at 
AVinona.  His  brother  Edwai-d  Smith  only  remained  a  year 
here.  He  married  a  sister  of  Governor  Burns,  of  Wisconsin, 
ami  moved  to  the  Pacific  coast. 

AVhile  the  foregoing  may  not  be  a  full  list  of  the  original 
owiKM's  of  the  s«)il  in  this  neighborhood,  I  think  it  as  correct 
as  possible  to  get  it  at  this  time,  (reorge  A.  Cami)  was  a 
resident  during  the  (^xciting  claim-making  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river,  Imt  he  never  made  a  claim.  He  was  a  mendicr  of 
his  uncle  Anson  Northrup's  household.  AVilliam  Goodiu)w, 
a  carpenter,  who  built  Mr.  Northrup's  house,  also  resided 
hi'r(>,  but  made  no  claim.  He  committed  suicide  in  the  l)egin- 
ning  of  the  wint<'r  of  1852,  by  jumping  into  the  river  just 
abov(^  the  Falls,  (ioodnow  was  a.  young  man,  an  excellent 
workman,  but  addicted  to  strong-ch-ink,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  was  sutrering  from  delirium-trcmens.  This  was  tlie 
first  case  of  suicide  in  what  is  now  Minneapolis,  aiul  the  fii-st 
victim  lu're  suffering  from  th.it  terrible  disease.     Gordon  and 


*    iJlV 


146 


PERSONAL    UECOLLECTIOXS 


William  Jarkius  were  membei'8  of  their  brother  John  Jackin's 
family.  They  were  interested  in  a  forty-acre  tract  of  land 
joininjaf  Mrs.  layer's  claim.  The  younger  brother  William 
died  while  occupying  the  claim.  William  Hubbard,  a  lawyer 
from  Tennessee,  occupied  a  claim  for  a  year  or  two,  but 
sold  it  and  removed  from  the  territory  In'foro  the  land  came 
into  market.  John  JJerry  lived  on  and  ])reempled  a  fann 
near  tlu'  Lake  of  the  Isles,  which  is  now  within  ♦^he  city  limits. 

FTRHT    MASONIC    LODGE    AT    ST.    ANTHONY    FALLS. 

Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  soon  after  his  arrival  in  St.  Anthony,  in 
1851,  found  a  few  Freemasons,  and  called  a  meeting  of  such 
of  them  as  were  ri'sidents,  at  the  pai'lors  of  Mr.  Oodfi'ey,  with 
a  v;?w  of  establishing  a  lodge.  A  petition  for  a  dispensation 
was  sent  to  the  grand  lodge  of  Illinois.  The  petition  was 
granted,  and  on  the  14th  «)f  I'ebruary,  at  tlie  same  parlors, 
Cataract  Lodge,  U.  1).,  was  oi-ganized.  A.  E.  Ames  was  Wor- 
shipful Master  ;  William  Siiiilh,  senior  warden  ;  Isaac  Brown, 
junior  wnrden  ;  .Vrd  Godfrey,  treasurer  ;  John  H.  Stevens, 
secretary  ;  1).  M.  Coolbaugh,  senior  deacon  ;  H.  S.  Atwowl, 
junior  deacon  ;  and  William  liramer,  Tyler.  Colonel  E.  Case 
of  St.  Anthony,  aud  Captain  J.  \V.  T.  (bmliner  of  Fort  Snel- 
ling,  were  members. 

As  this  was  the  first  charitable  order  organized  in  this 
vicinity,  where  so  many  now  exist,  it  will  be  observed  that 
Cataract  Lodge  is  tlu'  jjarent  of  all  similar  organizations  north 
of  St.  Paid.  Dr.  Ames,  the  master,  had  been  a  member  of 
the  Grand  Lodge  <»f  Illinois,  and  had  al.so  been  master  of  the 
lodge  at  RoHcoe.  itnd  Belvidere,  in  the  same  state.  On  the 
organization  of  the  Grand  Ijodge  of  Minnesota,  he  was  chosen 
Most  Worshipful  Grand  Master,  and  in  later  years  held  higli 
places  of  trusts  in  the  diiferent  organizations  of  Freema8t)nry 
in  this  state. 

Colonel  William  Smith,  tlie  stMiior  warden,  was  a  native  of 

Maine,  had  been  a  prominent  citizen  of  ihat  state,  and  master 

of   his  lodge.     Isaac    Brown,  tlu'   junior   warden,  was  also  a 

native   of   Mj  ine,  and    was   a   j)ast-nuister.     Ki^  was  the  first 

sheriir  of  Hennepin  county.  Ard  Godfrey,  tlu>  trefisurer, 
also  a  native  of  Maine,  ha<l  hel4  a  similar  ofHce  in  n  lodgy  ou 

on  the  banks  of  the  Penobscot. 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  IT«   I'KOl'I-lv 


14T 


John  H.  Stevens,  tlie  seeretary,  wrh  initiated,  panned  and 
rniKed,  in  a  military,  traveling;  lodge,  U.  D.,  fron'  the  (.J rand 
IjiMlgeof  Tennessee,  during  the  winter  of  1848,  at  the  National 
Bridge,  in  Mexico.  The  dis[)ensation  gave  the  otticeri-i  of  the 
liwlge  pernjisHiiMi  to  meet  on  high  hills,  or  l»)\v  vales. 

The  senior  deaeen,  D.  M.  Cooll)augh,  was  made  a  Mason  in 
a  Pennsylvania  lodge.  On  the  org;cnizaii;>!»  of  Hennepin 
lodge,  r.  1).,  two  years  after  the  organization  of  C^ataract 
lodge,  he  was  selected  as  its  first  Master.  The  junior  deacon, 
H.  S.  Atwood,  was  initiated,  jmssed  and  raised,  in  a  lodge  in 
New  Brunswick.  His  wif«'  was  a  sister  of  Calviji  A.  Tuttle. 
The  Tyler,  Willinni  JJrenu'r,  I  think,  was  made  a  Mason  in 
Pennsylvania.     He  had  a  farm  near  the  city. 

Colonel  E.  Case,  a  native  of  New  York,  was  made  a  Mason 
in  a  lodge  near  Rodiester  in  that  state.  During  a  long  resi- 
dence in  ]\[ichigan  he  held  high  i)ositions  in  the  Order  in  that 
state,  antl  was  for  a  l«>ng  time  treasurer  of  Blue  Linlges  in 
Hennepin  county,  and  the  firet  Grand  Treasurer  of  tlu»  Grand 
Lodge  of  Minnesota.  Gaptain  J.  AV.  T.  Gardiner  was  a  natiVe 
of  Hallowell,  Maine,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  and  stationed, 
at  the  organization  of  Cataract  Lodge,  at  Fort  Snelling,  com- 
manding Company  1),  First  regiment  IT.  S.  Dragoons.  He 
was  n)ade  a  Mason  at  one  of  the  western  anny  forts. 

The  first  who  presented  petitions  for  memhership  of 
Cataract  Lodge  were  Isaac  .Atwater,  Jolin  George  Lennon, 
Anson  Northrup,  John  C,  Gairns,  John  H.  Murphy,  and 
Rolwrt  W.  Cummings.  These  gentlemen  were  the  first  to 
tK»C(mio  MasoiiH  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Antlumy. 

The  Grand  Alaster  of  Iilint)is,  to  whom  the  petition  was 
s<M>t,  and  who  gi'aiitx?d  the  dispensation  to  Cataract  Ltwlge, 
was  Judge  E.  B.  Ames,  long  since  a  resident  of  Mimieajiolis. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 


«OME  OF   THE  ORIGINAL  OWNEUH   OF   THE   SOIL  AT   THE  FALLS. 


A  large  majority  of  the  original  claimants  and  owners  of 
the  soil  on  the  military  reservation  and  Indian  landH  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  west  bank  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  have 
crossed  the  invisible,  silent  river,  and  prccedt'd  iis  to  the 
unknown  land, 

'Sheriif  Isaac  Brown  died  many  yeai-s  since.  Eli  Pettijohn, 
(mce  so  prominent  in  our  midst,  resides  in  California,  and  is 
said  to  be  a  hale,  hearty  old  man.  Deacon  Allen  Harmon 
lived  a  life  of  usefulness,  and  was  called  to  a  better  world 
some  seven  years  ago.  His  children  are  among  our  most 
re8i)ected  citizens.  Mr.  Harmon's  gcKxl  deeds  in  this  life  will 
ever  be  cherished  by  his  old  friends.  Anson  Northrup  occu- 
pies a  prominent  j)lace  in  the  history  of  Miiniesota.  Warm- 
hearted, generous,  a  good  neighlmr  and  firm  friend,  he  has 
reached  n  green  old  age,  meriting  the  esttH'm  of  not  <mly  the 
pioneers,  l)ut  of  the  new  citizens  of  the  commonwealth.  Geo. 
W.  Tew  went  further  west  at  an  early  day,  and  died  a  few 
years  since. 

Edward  Murphy  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  citizen  on 
the  west  side  o(  the  river.  No  one  was  more  public-spirited. 
He  finnly  believed  in  the  future  greatness  of  ^[inneapolis, 
and  freely  exprniled  money  to  develoji  its  resources.  He  was 
at  the  head  in  securing  the  running  of  boats  up  the  river  to 
MinneaiH)lis.  His  (h'ath  was  greatly  regretted.  His  widow, 
and  his  two  children,  Ii-a  Murphy  of  this  city,  and  Mrs.  13. 
Armstrong  of  St.  Paul,  survive  him. 

Sweet  W.  Cast'  has  long  occupied  a  prominent  iK)sition  in 


OP   MINNESOTA  AND   ITS   I'EOl'LE. 


Ill) 


the  community.  For  many  years  he  has  been  city  assessor. 
He  was  our  first  clerk  in  the  districi  court.  He  still  resides 
in  Minneapolis.  Peter  Poncin  emigrated  to  the  Pacific  coast 
and  died  there  a  few  years  since.  Martin  Layman,  one  of 
our  most  cherished  pioneers,  lived  to  see  the  city  expand  all 
around  him.  A  jwrtion  of  his  claim  wasjaid  out  into  a  cem- 
etery.    He  died  three  years  ago. 

Isuuc  Atwater  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the 
state.  For  many  years  he  occupied  a  seat  on  the  supreme 
bench  of  Minnesota.  A  graduate  of  old  Yale,  he  is  a  classic 
writer  and  ready  speaker.  As  n  lawyer  he  ranks  among  the 
foremost.  As  a  member  and  secretary  of  the  old  board  of 
regents  of  the  University  of  Minnesota,  ho  labored  long,  and 
earnestly  in  the  interest  of  that  great  seat  of  learning.  Judge 
Atwater  has  occupied  many  high  positions  with  credit  to 
himself  and  satisfaction  to  the  community.  At  the  birth  of 
the  city  he  fortunately  consented  to  serve  as  one  of  its  alder- 
men. His  wise  courrje  in  the  council  tentled  largely  to  shape 
the  course  of  those  r.ldermen  who  followed  him  in  the  adoj)- 
tion  of  wholesome  ordinances  for  the  city  government.  For 
many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  education.  He 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  our  fine  system  of  graded  schools. 
His  good  works  are  all  around  as,  and  he  is  still  vigorous  and 
useful. 

John  George  Lennon,  a  pioneer  merchant,  a  man  who  was 
always  alive  to  the  interests  of  the  city,  died  in  October,  188(i, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  In  tlie  earlier  "years  of  the 
occupation  of  this  secticm  of  the  state  by  the  whites,  Mr. 
Lennon  was  at  the  front  in  all  enterprises  for  the  gocnl  of  the 
country,  and  was  especially  efl[icient  at  the  Falls  of  8t.  Anthony 
in  securing  immigration.  As  the  representative  of  the  Amer- 
ican Fur  Company  in  this  ueighborho(wl,  lie  was  influential 
in  the  community,  and  he  always  used  that  infliience  for  the. 
benefit  of  the  people.  He  was  a  son-in-law  of  Major  Nathan- 
iel McLean,  at  one  time  United  States  agent  at  Fort  Snelling 
for  the  Dakotas.  His  widow  and  an  only  son  have  their 
home  in  Minneapolis. 

Captain  Parker,  the  old  master  of  the  steamboat  Governor 
Ramsey,  after  he  moved  on  his  claim  adjoining  Mr.  Layman's, 
became  county  commissioner,  in  1872,  and  continuetl  in  office 


■i'r 


:1['; 


m 


150 


rKHNDNAI,     ItF.'dl.LKCI'IONH 


■im 


until  187').  He  died  nliortly  afttT  tlic  cxpiratuni  of  his  term 
of  otficr.  Clmiullcr  Hutchins  several  years  since  moved  into 
the  upper  portion  of  this  state,  where  he  still  resides,  ('apt. 
John  ('.  Reno  went  to  Ohio  in  iMoH,  but  returned  lo  this  eitj- 
in  IHHT,  and  is  now  an  efficient  business  man.  (J»'or^(»  Parks 
sold  his  claim  and  returned  to  Maine  wh«>r»',  if  alive,  h(»  still 
resides.  He  was  our  first  supervisor  of  ntads.  N.  E.  Stod- 
dard i-ame  from  Ohio.  He  was  a  .scientific  ajj;ricidturist  and 
hortieulturisl,  and  was  the  first  ti»  improve,  by  a  system  of 
hybridi/.inj^:,  the  earliness  of  Ohio  dent-corn.  He  also  intro- 
duced the  Stoddard  seedlinj^-potato,  of  much  merit.  He  died 
in    the   prime  of  manhood  wliile  a  resident  on  his  farm. 

Z.  ,M.  Jirown  was  a  pioneer  hardware  dealer  in  St.  Anthony. 
He  removed  t(»  this  side  of  the  river,  and  was  enjjjaj^ed  in 
active  business.  After  enteriuj^  his  land  he  .sold  it  and 
removed  to  Monticello  in  this  state.  He  died  some  ten  yeai'H 
a^o.  Mr.  Hill,  his  ancient  neij^hbor,  was  the  father  of  Hon. 
Henry  Hill,  an  early  lawyer  in  Minnea|Kuis.  He  died  nuuiy 
years  a^o  at  the  residence  of  a  s(m  who  resides  in  Brooklyn  in 
this  county.  Den  ids  Peters  was  an  ea"ly  settler.  He  was  a 
hard-workinjj;,  honest  man.  I  think  he  still  resides  in  INIinne- 
sota.  William  Worthinjjjham,  the  pioneer  m(>chanic  of  St. 
Anthony,  lived  to  a  j^reat  ajj;*',  and  died  three  years  ajj;o  at  his 
liome  on  Wt'stern  avenue  in  this  city. 

(yhnrles  Farrintfton,  after  entering  his  hind,  .sohl  it  to  Mr. 
ffewett,  and  removt'd  to  Plymcmth,  in  this  county.  He  died 
in  1887.  Elijah  Austin,  a  pronnnent  farmer,  died  at  his 
home  in  this  city,  sonu'  t<'n  years  since,  leavimj;  a  widow  and 
a  son.  F.  X.  Crej)au,  a  j)ioneer  of  St.  Anthony,  resides  on 
his  original  preemption.  He  is  a  market-gardener,  and  has 
secured  a  competency.  Stephen  Pratt,  a  mend»er  of  the 
aiH'ient  hunber-firm  of  Stevens,  Pratt,  and  {'hand>ers,  lived 
an  eventful  life  on  his  farm.  He  was  a  member  of  Captain 
E.  M.  Wilson's  company  of  Mounted  Hangers.  He  lived  to 
see  the  city  limits  include  his  farm.  He  died  ftmr  years  ago. 
His  brother  Rufus  H.,  wlio  owned  a  i)lace  near  him,  is  still  a 
resilient  of  the  city.  A  part  of  his  homestead  has  been  laid 
out  in  city  lots.  Thonuis  Stinson,  the  preemptor  of  the 
beautiful  Oak  Grove  addition,  was  an  old  man  when  he  first 
arri  ved  in  Minnesota.     He  died  soon  after  entering  his  land 


OF   MINNKSOT.V    AND    ITS    I'KOPLE. 


151 


t 


Joseph  S.  JohiiHon  still  n'sitles  in  Miniu'upolis.  Holms  lived 
to  see  it  ^row  from  a  siniill  Imnilet  to  an  t-stiiimted  popnlation 
of  over  two  luuulretl  thousand.  Asa  Fletcher  sold  his  farm 
on  Portland  avenue  and  removed  to  Farinin^t»)n,  in  Dakota 
eounty,  winch  is  his  present  home.  He  is  a  brother  of  Dr. 
H.  Fletcher.  Another  l)rother.  Timothy,  wlio  owned  an 
adjoining  farm,  died  some  fifteen  years  since.  The  Fletcher 
brothers  wen'  earnest,  ;j;ood  men.  William  doodwin,  a  sim- 
in-lnw  of  Timothy  Fletcher,  who  formerly  t)wned  the  Ever- 
green addition  to  Minneapolis,  resides  in  lirool^lyn,  in  this 
(•(Hinty.  Mr.  Jackson,  I  think,  soon  after  perfecting  the  title 
to  his  land,  removed  from  the  State. 

H.  H.  Shepley  came  to  Minnesota  as  an  invalid.  The 
climate  was  n  j^reat  benefit  to  him.  He  was  a  respected  inttu- 
(Mitial  citizen,  and  died  nmny  yt>ars  since.  His  dauLchter  is 
the  wife  of  Abner  (rodfrey.  Several  of  his  sons  are  residents 
of  this  state.  Andrew  J.  Foster  has  been  efficient  in  building 
np  the  city.  Charles  Gilpatrick  is  one  of  our  best  farmers. 
As  the  city  expanded  he  laid  out  his  old  home  in  city-lots 
and  purchas«'d  another  farm  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
ccmnty,  but  kept  a  city  resilience. 

Deacon  James  Sully's  name  was  for  a  long  tinje  a  house- 
liold  W(n'd  with  the  citizens  «)f  this  county.  Whenever  county 
matters  became  entangled,  Deacon  Sully  was  called  uj)ou  to 
straighten  them  <mt.  For  several  years  he  served  the  county 
as  one  of  its  commissitmers.  When  he  died  the  statu  lost  one 
of  its  best  citizens.  Children  and  grandchildren  survive  him. 
Henry  C.  Keith  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  citizen. 
After  he  dispos<'(l  of  his  land,  he  followed  the  business  of  a 
conti'actor.  H(>  delighted  in  church  work,  and  was  called 
upon  to  forward  every  work  to  make  his  follow-citizens  better 
men.  He  died  in  IHHH,  leaving  a  widow  and  three  children. 
Joseph  H.  Canney  was  a  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Keith,  his 
sister  being  ]Mr.  Keith's  wife  ;  and  he  was  also  a  brother-in- 
law  of  J.  B.  Bassett.  Mr.  Canney  preemi)t(Ml  a  small  frac- 
tion of  land  at  the  junction  of  Bassett's  creek  with  the  Mis- 
sissij)pi.  Several  years  since  he  moved  to  the  south,  and 
died  there. 

Dorwin  E.  Moulton.  who  ])reempted  Dorman's  addition  to 
Minneapolis,  lives  at  Belvidere,  Boone  county,  Illinois.     Dur- 


162 


PF.itsoN.M,   iii;('<>i.i,i;(  TioiiH 


iiij^  liirt  loiip;  rcHuli'iu**'  in  Miiint'sofu  lie  was  in  active  busiiu-sH 
lifr.  He  WHS  ii  lU'pht'w  ol'  E/ni  l^onnaii,  one  »)t'  the  pittiiccrs 
of  St.  Aiilludiy.  His  \vit'(>  wns  ii  sistrr  of  llic  wife  of  Major 
L.  ('.  Walker,  and  a  tlauL^litcr  of  Cephas  (rardner,  wlio  at  one 
time  represented  St,  Anthony  in  tlie  t«'rritonal  honse  of  rep- 
resentatives. 

Alfred  ('.  Muiphy  was  a  brother  of  Edward  Murphy.  He 
WHS  enj^a^jfed  in  the  saddle  and  hann'ss  business.  A  correct, 
just  man,  lie  was  mucli  resix'cted  l>y  his  nei^hl)oi-s.  Ho  died 
in  1HS7,  leaviiif^  a  widow  and  sevoi'al  children.  William  (J. 
Murphy,  also  a  brotln-r  «)f  Edward  Murphy,  was  iiumy  years 
en^atj;ed  in  business  in  this  city.  He  died  in  early  life.  He 
was  never  nuirried. 

Hiram  Ibirlin^ham  raised  a  lar;;;e  family  of  children,  and  a 
few  years  since  moved  to  California.  His  wife  was  a  dnu^h- 
ter  of  Reuben  IJean  who  temporarily  resided  in  the  old  j^ov- 
ernment  house,  on  this  side  of  IIh'  river,  as  early  as  1H49. 
Mr.  IJurlin^ham's  object  in  t-mi^ratin^  to  California  was  to 
secure  land  upon  which  to  settle  his  children  around  him. 
He  was  a  hard-work iu}^  man   while  a   resident  of  this  state. 

Simi'on  Odell,  a  younjj;,  sinj^le  man  who  kept  bacheh)r's 
hall  for  many  years  on  the  road  to  the  Fort,  had  received  a 
^ood  education,  and  was  fond  of  books,  and  made  as  ^ood  a 
farmer  as  could  be  expected  «>f  a  man  without  a  wife.  He 
•sold  his  farm  numy  years  since,  and  removed  to  the  southern 
])Hrt  of  the  state,  where  he  resides, 

E.  \.  Hixlson  came  to  tluH  state  as  a  CniM-rsalist  minister. 
In  early  years  he  led  a  sea-fnrintj  life.  He  resides  near  the 
city.  He  is  a  Huent  speaker,  a  warm  fri«'nd  of  the  pioneers, 
and  H  man  of  ^cenerous  impulses. 

Ed^ar  Folsom,  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  St.  Anthony, 
resides  in  the  city.  He  is  a  man  of  indnstri(»us  habits.  Mrs. 
Sayer,  the  only  fenuile  preemptor  on  tlu-  military  reservation, 
became  the  wife  of  William  Dickie.  She  died  numy  years 
ajfo.  Mr,  Dickie  was  a,  man  of  talent,  and  always  ])opular. 
He  removed  to  \'iru;inia  several  years  since,  where  he  nttw 
resides. 

]{obert  Blaisdell,  a  native  of  northern  Vermont,  si)ent  many 
years  in  Maine,  from  wliich  state  he  removed  with  his  family 
to  Minnesota.     Indnstrioii.s,  a  kind  husband  and  father,  an 


or    MINNKHOrV    AM)    ns    PKOI'LK, 


15:1 


oblijifin^;  ii«'ij;lilM>r,  Iuh  ih'iitli,  in  tlu»  Hprinji;  of  1887,  wiis  iiiucli 
liinientt'd.  \\r  was  over  four-score  yvnrn  of  ag«»  at  the  limoof 
liiH  <l«>|)artun>  from  tliiH  world  of  sorn)W.  His  eldoHtHon.  Jolm 
T.  IJlaisdell,  resides  on  the  land  lie  preempted  so  many  years 
ajifo.  He  is  a  man  of  strict  intejjfrity,  of  l(i>«m1  business  Iiahits, 
and  ('njoys  the  entire  confidence  of  the  cmnmnnity.  Williani 
Blaisdell,  another  son  of  IJoheit  Hlaisdell,  also  resides  on  his 
primitive  claim.  A  threat  {lortion  of  tin'  time  since  his  resi- 
deni'e  hen  hc^  has  been  en^ai^>'d  in  the  lumber  i)usiness.  He 
is  alive  to  everythin;^^  that.  iM'iiefitH  th<»  city  and  state,  and  is  a 
}^(M>d  man.  While  he  has  decided  opinions  of  his  own,  he  is 
willini^  others  should  enjoy  the  same  privih'y;e. 

Deacon  John  S.  Mann  came  west  from  Vermont  when  a 
1m)V.  After  selliitjj;  his  claim  he  removed  further  west,  and  is 
now  a  resident  of  Mandan,  Dakota.  He  was  the  tirst  deacon 
in  the  first  Congregational  church  Jit  the  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony.  He  was  also  the  first  treasurer  of  Hennepin  county. 
His  tirst  wife  was  a  daujj;hter  of  the  venerable  pioneer.  Joshua 
Drapor.  Deacon  ^laini  was  11  useful  citizen,  and  his  removal 
from  the  county  is  ^^reatly  re^rett«'d. 

Lncien  N.  Parker  is  a  resident  of  Minneapolis,  For  many 
yeatH  he  has  followed  the  practice  of  veterinary  sur;(eon  in 
this  city,  with  much  success.  Henry  Annuel  I  soM  his  claim 
and  n'moved  to  California.  He  is  rememlM'red  as  a  (piiet, 
;^ood  man.  Ht'iiry  Heap  resides  in  Minnea|>olis.  He  has 
led  a  just,  honest  life,  and  is  respected  by  every  one. 

James  A.  Lennon,  a  brother  of  John  (JeorjU'e  ficnnon,  was 
for  many  years  an  active  business  man.  He  d<vdt  larj^ely  in 
real-estate.  His  death  occurred  in  187(».  Mr.  ii«'nn<jn  wmsji 
mniiof  much  more  than  a  verau;e  ability.     He  was  never  mar  lied. 

Deacon  Oliver  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  best-known 
men  in  Minnt'apolis,  and  one  of  the  most  honored  of  all  its 
citiz(nis.  H<'  was  one  of  the  foenders  «)f  the  Westminster 
church  in  this  city.  He  nev(>r  had  any  children,  but  his  aj^t'd 
widow  survives  him.  That  excellent  lady  has  recently  ctui- 
tributed  a  very  lar^e  sum  of  money  for  the  1)»'iietit  of  Mc- 
Allister colh't^e. 

Charles  Moseau.  after  selling;  his  farm  on  Lake  Calhoun, 
moved  into  the  «ity  and  followed  the  business  of  car|)enterinp;. 
He  died  several  years  sim-e,  leaving  several  children.     Ho  was 


-«^ 


154 


PKUHONAL    11 1'.COlJ.KniONS 


ill 


M  «|iiict,  UMiisHUiiiin;;  man,  lioiifHt  tiixl  fiiitlil'iil  in  cvrry  walk 
of  I  if,.. 

(it't»r^i'  !•',.  Hny  is  now  a  rrsitlrnt of  (in>at  Falln,  Montana, 
tilling  tln«  ofK<-«'  of  city  jud^r.  H<>  was  tlu'  stM-ontl  ri'jjfisU'r  of 
»1«'«m1s  of  Ht'nni'pin  county,  nn<l  also  held  several  other  otfices 
in  the  <-ity  anil  cttiinty.  Hit  contriluited  nindi  in  hnildin^  up 
the  city.  None  of  the  old  settlers  are  held  in  hi^^her  esteem 
than  Mr.  liny 

David  (iorham,  after  selling  liiH  farm  to  H.  P.  Knssell, 
moved  to  the  nei^hltiu'liood  of  MiMlicine  Lake,  and  for  most 
of  the  time  has  lived  there.  He  was  the  Krst  coroner  of 
Hennepin  connty.  .Mr.  (iorham  has  always  commanded  the 
res|K'ct  of  the  citizens  of  the  connty. 

Arthur  H.  Mills,  for  many  years,  was  actively  enj^a^ed  in 
business  in  this  vicinity.  He  was  a  i|nartermaster  in  tho 
army,  with  the  rank  of  captain,  during  the  late  civil  war. 
His  wife,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  ladies  that  ever  resithnl 
here,  died  while  he  was  in  the  army,  leaving  an  only  s«>n. 
After  the  war,  Captain  Mills  was  ent<a;j;ed  in  the  lundM>r 
business.  He  died  Lfreatly  lamented  by  a  larj^e  circle  of 
frieiuls. 

•losiah  l)ra|M-r.  Captain  Mills  nearest  neiL':hl»or  on  the  old 
reservation,  sold  his  interest  in  liis  preemption  and  moved  to 
Sauk  Cent*'r  in  this  state,  but  lived  only  a  few  years  after  his 
removal,  ^[r.  Draper  was  a  lU'acon  in  the  Baptist  church, 
and  was  a  man  of  ^reat  worth. 

Charles  Brown,  after  the  disposal  of  his  farm,  removed  up 
the  river  from  MinneaiM)li.s,  where  he  resides.  Mr.  Jirowu 
WHH  a  ^immI  fanniT  and  Ji  ;jood  nei^hlMJr. 

Frank  Tlollius  lived  on  his  farm  for  many  years  after  he 
preempted  if.  He  subseipiently  moved  to  Hutchinson,  Mc- 
LcimI  <-ounty.  in  this  state,  wliere  he  died  two  years  a^^o. 
^Ir.  Uollins  was  a  man  of  j^reat  nierit.  Simeon  liean,  a 
nephew  of  (*aptain  Jolm  llollins,  has  l)een  en^^aj^ed  more  or 
less  in  tlie  lnnd)er  business.  He  is  a  resident  of  the  stati!, 
and  is  a  capable,  honest  man. 

John  Wass  is  a  resident  of  this  city,  tli()Uj.jh  since  preempt- 
ing; his  land  he  has  frequently  been  absent  from  tl»e  sUltc. 
He  has  always  led  an  honest  life. 

Ard  Goilfrey's  life  has  been  full  of  interest inj^eventw.     For 


OK    MINNKHOTA    AND    IIS    I'l  OI'I.F.. 


155 


many  yvnvH  lie  Ims  Immmi  »'\t«>iiHiv('|y  cnffa^cd  in  tlw  milling 
induHtrii'rt  of  this  statr.  H«'  is  n  n'sidt'iit of  tliis  city.  No 
man  anuMii;  the  |tion«'»>rs  liart  lw'«>n  nutn*  «'t!ici«'nt.  in  acconi- 
plisliin^  ;;«kh1  ivsiilts  for  tin*  state  than  Mr.  (iJMlfn'y.  His 
friends  are  nninerons  ;  his  enemies  ( if  any  I  are  few.  For 
the  many  favt»rs  he  l)esto\ved  n|Niii  the  pioneers,  in  territo- 
rial «h»ys,  too  niiu  h  eretlit  eannot  Iw  iciveii. 

Ainasa  Crafts  li\rs  in  our  midst.  Since  Ids  preemption  he 
has  been  en^a^ed  in  ditl'erent  business  pursuits.  He  is  a  man 
of  sterling;  worth,  and  held  in  the  hit^hest  esteem  l»y  the 
eiitin^  eommunity. 

Hiram  Van  Nest  lias,  by  a  lif«'  of  industry  and  integrity, 
nccumulatt'd  a  eom|M'teney.  He  divides  his  time  in'twei'ii 
tliis  eity  and  California.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Robert  Jilais<lell. 

.John  J{«'rry,  after  he  sold  Ids  farm,  moved  into  the  city  and 
resi(h'd  here  diirinj^  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  con- 
Hi(h>red  one  of  the  best  farmers  in  tin'  state.  He  left  an 
intt'restiiifj;  family,  some  of  whom  are  residents  of  thiH  city. 
Mr.  Berry  was  an  indu.strious,  lionest  man. 

Mark  T.  IJerry.  only  son  of  John  I'eriy,  is  a  resident  of 
Los  Anodes,  California,  and  is  t-xtensively  enj^a^t'd  in  fruit- 
niisin^. 

Robert  lilaisdell,  jr.,  has  bcrii  lar^i'ly  en;j;ajj[ed  with  his 
brother  William  in  the  lumlN-r  trade.  He  has  also  exten- 
sive fanning  interests.  His  residence  has  always  JM'en  in 
MinneaiM)li.s.     Mr.  Blais(U>ll  is  a  lc«kmI  «Mti/.en. 

Willis  G.  Motfett  lived  to  a  ^ood  old  a)^e,  surrounded  by  a 
lar^i'  family  of  children  who  had  all  reached  maturity  iw'fore 
his  death.  He  was  one  of  the  most  valued  of  the  pioneen'. 
His  son,  William  (J.  Motfett,  is  a  n-sident  of  a  portion  of  the 
land  lie  preempted.  H»>  has  led  a  fiirmer's  life,  honored  by 
the  j)eople  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 

C(»lonel  S.  Wo(k1s,  I'.  S.  A.,  who  owned  the  land  bordering 
on  the  nt)rtli  l)ank  of  Minnehaha  l''alls,  is  now  a  resi<lent  of 
Oaklaml,  California. 

William  Finch  movi-d  to  California  in  1H7H,  and  is  now  a 
resident  of  that  stat«'.  Hi'  is  a  n«'ph«'w  of  Hon.  John  W. 
Nofth.     Mr.  Finch  was  deserv«'dly  iH)pular. 

Samut'l  Stough  ha»l  reached   middle   life   U[k)u   his  adveut 


'I' 


;l 


li 


156 


l>EKSf)N\I,   ItFrOLI.ErnoNH 


into  the  territory.  H«'  lias  been  dead  many  years,  but  his 
memory  Ik  Htill  green  in  the  lieartw  of  those  wlio  had  the 
ph'HHure  of  his  aequain<ance.  His  aged  widow,  and  several 
children,  survive  him.  Among  tlie  latter  is  Mix.  Captain 
Mnhlon  Black,  of  this  eity. 

S.  A.  C'rowell  was  t>ne  of  the  original  niendwrs  of  the 
Plymouth  Congregational  church  in  this  city.  Ho  ilied  sev- 
eral years  ago,  greatly  resiwcted. 

Mark  liuldwin,  after  the  sale  of  his  farnt,  lived  for  a  time 
at  Litchfield,  in  this  state,  from  wliich  phn-e  he  moved  t<) 
Clnlifoniia. 

Thomas  W.  Pienc  has  filways  been  a  valued  citizen.  He 
is  still  a  residetjt  on  the  land  he  obtained  from  the  govern- 
ment. 

Few  men  were  better  or  more  favorably  knovsii  than  Calvin 
Clinn'h.  He  was  a  innc  Hi)ecin»en  «tf  maiduMMl.  His  widow, 
now  ^Irs.  Captain  John  Noble,  lives  in  this  city. 

xV.  K.  Hartwell  ft)r  many  years  was  a  merchant  on  AVabh- 
ingtoii  avi'iiue.     He  now  resides  in  California. 

William  Hanson  lived  to  be  over  eighty  yeats  of  age.  He 
led  an  honest  life,  and  died  greatly  regretted.  His  son,  Hon. 
D.  M.  Hanson,  wa.s,  in  his  «!ay,  one  of  our  most  prominent 
citizens.  He  died  in  the  spring  of  1850,  while  a  memWr  of 
the  territorial  council. 

Daniel  M.  C«)o|bangli,  wh«)  made  an  arrangement  witli  Dr. 
A.  E.  Ames  to  enter  a  portion  «)f  his  original  claim,  was  for 
many  y<'ars  one  <»f  our  most  ai'tive  citizens.  A  portion  of  the 
land  Ml'.  Coolbaugh  preempred  is  now  known  as  Mattison's 
first  and  se<*ond  iidditions  to  MinneajKilis.  .M  r.  (V)olbaugh 
had  a  large  circle  of  friends.  His  widow  resides  in  the  city. 
Three  children  survive  him— Kev.  I*' rank  Coolbaugh,  an 
Epis<'<ipal  clergyman  of  great  promi.se,  Mrs.  W.  E.  Jones, 
nml  Mrs.   L,  Had. 

(loifhm  Jackins,  who  was  interested  in  a  clnim  in  thiH 
county,  with  his  brother  William,  lived  and  died  in  Hassan, 
in  this  county  and  state. 

Uiv.  Aimer  C.  (iodfrey,  a  l)rother  of  Anl  (iodfrey,  who 
pri'emj)t<>d  a  fraction  of  land  «tn  the  bank  of  the  river  b<*low 
the  Falls,. returned  east  in  IHAti,  and  is  j>astor  of  u  Methoilist 
church  Ml  the  inteiittr  of  Massachusetts. 


»?% 


OF   MINNKSOTA    AND    ITS   I'KOI'I.E. 


I-Tf 


Edwin  Hcddi'riy.  wIiomc  Ihhiu'  joiiu'd  Mr.  (iodfivv'n,  wiih  for 
nioro  than  tsvrnty  years  one  of  the  most  active  hnsineMS  men 
in  Minneapolis.     His  (h-ath  ocrnrred  in  tliis  rity. 

Tliere  were  one  or  two  otlu-rs  wl(o  preempted  land  on  tiie 
military  reservation  and  the  ceded  Indian  lands,  in  the  ininie- 
diute  vicinity  of  the  west  hunk  of  the  Fnlls  »»f  St.  Anthony, 
hnt  their  present  resident  e  ( if  they  are  aliv  )  is  unknown  t() 
me.  Tlu'n'  are  others,  not  m  'ntioned  in  this  ehn})ter,  whose 
mimes  will  he  reconU'd  in  the  following  paLjes. 

Ml'T    FKW    ASHWKU    AT    HOLL-«  ALL. 

Only  n  few  of  tliose  whose  nani(»s  fire  mentioned  in  the 
fore^oinj;  survive  th«' y«'ftra  that  hnve  passed  sinc«>  they  tirst 
occuj)ie(l  their  lands.  It  is  a  duty  '  ''We  to  their  memory  to 
record  their  names  ;  to  hear  a  willinj^  tril)ute  to  tlitir  many 
virtues  ;  to  clu'erfully  hand  down  to  this  and  future  genera- 
lions  my  testimony  as  to  the  honesty  of  the  first  occupants  of 
the  Boil.  The  fields,  whi(^h  they  cultivated  with  so  much 
pride,  are  now  part  of  a  lari^e  city,  teenunjjj  with  a  multitude 
of  people,  who  luive  but  little  knowlfo.^e  of  tho.se  who  pre- 
ceded them  as  the  own»'rsof  the  land  upo,i  which  their  hiuiies 
are  made.  The  earnest  faces,  manly  forms,  free  speech,  frank 
nuiiniers  and  youthful  appearance  «)f  the  jjioiu'ers  of  those 
early  days  of  trust  and  trial,  tribulation  and  triumph,  are  ho 
distinct  in  niiy  miMUory  that  the  foreground  <rf  the  i)resent, 
bright  ns  it  is,  seems  a  backf.jr()und  that  brinies  more  conspic- 
uously into  view  thuae  glowing  forms  of  the  past. 


tBHoanaoBi 


f  HAPTEE   XXV. 


THE   UNIVERSITY    OF   MINNESOTA. 


Tlu'  I'cj^onts  of  the  Fniversity  lif-ld  HPVornl  Kossions  dtirinp; 
ISrjl.  At  the  first  int'cliii^  lle^cnt  ^Jiirshall  moved  that 
iiiimo(li!it(>  s1»'|)h  he  taken  for  (he  erection  of  a  hniklinfjf  puita- 
l)le  for  a  j)re|)iiratory  departnu'Tit,  Governor  Kaniney,  Sil>iey, 
Marshall,  and  Rice,  were  apiminted  a  committ^^e  to  secure  a 
library.  AdvertihenientH  were  ordered  pnblished  intlienewB- 
pa|)erH,  Holicitiny^  the  donation  of  u  Hite  for  tJie  University 
fi'iun  land-owners.  In  response.  Messrs.  Fnniklin  Steele,}!. 
H.  Sit 'it  y,  W.  A.  C'heever.  .b»se[ih  McAlpin.  8.  W.  Fnrnhani, 
C.  T.  StiuKon,  R.  W.  ('lunniin^H,  mul  Henry  Anffoll,  offered 
lands  for  that  pnrj)ose.  Aft^-r  a  thor(»u«,di  exanunation  of  the 
•iteH  offered,  tluit  of  Franklin  8teeje  waw  aceept/ed.  Tliis 
location  was  on  the  urroiinds  and  adi«»ininf.j  the  lands  of  the 
£.\poHition  i)nildiii}j;,  and   it   iou8ist4'<l  of  less  than  five  acres. 

At  the  J>me  meetinj^  <»f  the  rej»Mit*t  the  He<  letary  was 
directed  to  advertise  tor  ]»r«»|M)HalK  for  tlie  innnediate  bnilding 
of  the  pre|)aratory  departim'tit.  Subscriptions  were  solicited 
from  the  citizens  towards  dcfrayinjjj  the  «'Xpenses  of  the  build- 
ing. Two  thonsanil  live  iiiindred  dollars  were  raised  by  the 
citizens  f<»r  that  pur[M,He. 

The  standinfjf  c«)mmitt<H',  of  tlie  board  on  lands,  for  1H51, 
was  comj>oscil  of  Rcji^ents  Kamsey,  Sibley  and  Van  \'«)rhe8, 
Uet^ents  ('.  H.  Smith.  Marshall,  and  Van  Vorhes,  were 
app»)inted  a  conimitt^'i'ttMlevise  a  proper  seal  tV>rthe  I'niversity. 

The  teachers  in  the  jniblic-school  district  No.  5,  Ramsey 
county,  durinf^the  summer,  were  Miss  Mary  A.  Scotield  and 
Miss  Mary  Murphy. 


OF  MINNKHorV   ANlt   JIS   I'i'.ori.i:. 


15!> 


ST.     ANTHONY'h    FlUHT    (^KLEBUATION    OF    INDKl'F.NDKNCE    DAY. 

Tlu*  H(>viMity-nftli  anuivcrHury  of  our  Nalioiia!  IiKlfjM'ixIciu-e 
wan  cflchratrd  on  Hciuu'piii  iHlar.d.  It  hfiiiLf  tln' lirst.  <•(']«•- 
bratioii  of  lii<l('|)('!ult'iict»  day  by  tlu<  citizt'iis  of  St.  Anthony, 
it  waH  dcterniint'd  that  it  Hhouhl  bo  ono  that  '.vouhl  b«'  a  <'rc<lit 
to  old  St.  Anthony  of  l*a(hia  hinisolf.  On  St.  John's  c'ly  tlir 
foHowin^otiii'crs  wrn>  st'h'ch'd  to  act  on  tlic  occasion  :  Prcsi- 
«h'nt,  Hon.  Charles  T.  Stearns;  Marslial,  Dr.  John  li.  Mur- 
phy, with  UoMwcll  P.  Kusscll  luid  (r.  (!orvin,  assistants  ;  Wil- 
liam H.  Larnt'd,  rca<h'r  of  Dcclaratitin  ;  Isaac  Atwator,  orator  ; 
Rt'V.  C  W.  Brown,  chaplain  ;  John  H.  Stevens,  master  ol" 
toasts  ;  John  W.  North,  W.  A.  Cheever,  and  I'^dward  I'litch, 
committee  on  toasts  ;  Chessman  (rould,  Leonard  (Jould,  and 
Elias  H.  Conner,  committ»'(*  on  nnisic  ;  S.  W.  Farnham,  ChuH. 
Kinjjfsley,  Sylvanus  Trairtlotte,  committee  on  .salutes.  The 
entire  projj^ramnu'  was  carried  (mt,  and  a  more  interesting;  and 
patriotic  celebration  probably  has  not  since  taken  place  in  the 
vicinity  o!"  the  Falls.  Tiie  oration  pronounced  by  .lutl^e 
Atwater  WHswcM'thy  of  the  <»ccasi(Hi.  Amonsjf  the  distini(uishe<l 
visitors  preHent  was  Dr.  MaUmy,  lon^  a  member  of  conj^ress 
from  Illinois,  whos*'  eloouent  speech  in  response  to  a  eompli- 
mentary  toast  was  j^reatiy  enjoyed.  The  original  settlers  t)n 
the  reserve  were  nutiniy  incUbted  to  Dr.  Mah)ny,  iji  aft<fr 
years,  for  the  passajjfe  of  the  bill  by  congress  giving  them 
their  homes  for  a  liollar  and  a  ([uarter  an  acre. 
A   DISTINdUIHUKD   Wi;r)I>IX(}. 

Early  in  July,  St.  Anthony  was  visitetl  by  Miss  Sarah  Coat<>s, 
H  uot-ed  lecturer  on  j)hysiology.  Miss  Coates  was  a  native  <»f 
('hesr^'r  county,  PeiuiisyKania.  Her  lectures  here*  as  well  as 
elsewhere,  were  Well  attended.  On  the  15th  «»f  the  following 
month,  at  the  St.  Charles  lH»tel,  this  lady  becanu>  the  wife  of 
Captain  Dani»-I  Smith  Harris,  one  of  the  pioneer  KteamlK)at.- 
men  of  the  upper  Mississippi.  At  the  time  lliis  was  consid- 
ered the  most  distinguiMh«Hl  wetldiug  that  ha<i  ever  tak».'n 
place  in  the  little  villag»». 

FIRST    DOWNWMif*  MOVKMENT   OK   IlEAUKSTATK. 

On  the   rtiorning  of  Tue^lay.  the   14th   ofJidythe  whole 

vicinity  wa-  startle*!   by  wLat   was   sup|>osed  to  l)e  an  eai'th- 

(tUHke.     The     artji    t rend »j«^i.  and  there  waw  u  cnish   louder 

than    I'envy  thuiuler.     It  was*  cauHed   by  a  laml-alide  of  the 


-I*' 


m) 


I'EUHOX.VL    ItECOLLEC'J'lUXH 


wo8t  hniik  of  th»'  Mispissippi  from  the  liif^li  procipieo  inl^v  the 
riv(;r.  An  iicn*  or  two  of  earth,  lu-ar  where  the  g«s~workH 
now  are,  went  down-Htreain,  carrying  trees  and  roek. 

On  the  20tli  of  July  MessrH.  Church  and  (ietchell  started  a 
m«>at-market  in  the  viUage.  fleretctfore  fresh  meats  had  tt)  be 
bought  mostly  in  St.  Pavd,  sometimes  at  Fort  Snelling,  There 
bt>ing  no  swine  in  the  territory,  there  was,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  no  fresli-pork,  but  there  was  ph-nty  of  Halt-})ork.  Veal 
was  unknown  at  this  time.  Tliere  was  fresh-beef  after  the 
michne  of  tlie  summer.  In  sonu^  instance's  it  could  be  pro.  ured 
in  May  and  June,  but  it  was  of  oxen  from  the  pineries,  and 
not  desirable.     Wild  game  was  abuntlant  at  all  .seasons. 

The  people  «»f  the  young  village  greatly  lam  -nted  the  death 
of  two  married  ladies.  Mrs.  PerrinCb'tchell  died  on  th(»  2()th 
of  July,  and  ^frs.  Jtamsdejl,  wife  of  K<lward  llamsdell,  and 
daughter  of  Wasliiugt<Mi  (Ietchell.  di» d  on  the  loth  of  August 
at  the  age  of  eigliteen  y«'ars. 

Preparations  having  been  made,  and  the  nuuu'y  raised  l)y 
subscription  luiving  l)e»'n  j)aid  into  the  tn-asury  of  the  Uni- 
versity, W(U"k  was  connnenced  August  iHh  on  the*  preparatory 
building  of  Ihe  I'niversity  of  Minnesota,  and  |)rosecu{ed  with 
vigor,  tlu>  laiilding  b(>ing  completed  in  eight  W(>eks.  and  on 
the  llth  of  O<'lober  was  ready  for  the  rece[>tion  of  student.s. 
The  services  of  Prof.  K.  W.  Merrill  were  secured  as  princi|)nl. 
He  was  one  of  the  best  educators  of  the  day,  and  tlie  regents 
wj>re  fortunate  in  their  choice. 

The  first  singing-school  in  St.  Anthony  was  organized  on 
the  2;{d  of  August  by  Prof.  Bennett,  ot  Ohio.  Its  patronage 
Vi'HS  large  for  several  terms. 

The  Kx press  of  August  2'{  ma(h»  sport  of  tlu'  pretensions 
of  All  Saints.  The  few  of  us  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river 
laughed  with  those  on  tlu'  othi'r  bank,  but  were  determined 
that  All  Saints  (now  Minneapolis  proper )  should  be  a  rival 
to  the  ( ast  side  that  we  woidd  n(»t  be  aslmmed  of.  It  came 
S(M»ner  than  we  expected;  we  swallowed  the  Express,  its 
editor,  St.  .\nthony.  Cheever-town  and  all. 

August  !{(>th  I).  E.  Moulton,  a  former  prominent  citi/en  of 
the  lead-mi n«'S  of  southern  Wisconsin,  purchased  and  t«Hjk 
possession  of  tiie  St.  (.'harles  hotel. 

On  the  first  of  September  a  change  was  made  in  the   com- 


Oase 
Jenk 


OF  MINNFHOTA  AND  TTH  PEOPLE. 


ir.i 


niaml  rind  tli<*  ofRcorn  »it  Fort  Sncllin^.  I'liptnin  S,  13,  liut-k- 
iif'T  wns  onlcn'd  to  tnko  coniiiimKl  at  Fort  AtcluHon,  which 
was  at  the  Sjintii  Fc  crossijij,',  in  Arkansas;  and  Captain  R. 
\\  .  Kirkhani  was  sent  to  .h'llcrson  l)arracks,  Missouri.  IJoth 
of  tht'Hc  officers  were  t^rcatly  inicroKtcd  at  that-time  in  rcul- 
cstate  in  this  n('iKldM)r]iood. 

On  Moiuhiy,  tlic  lath  of  Scptcnihcr,  the  tirst  t(>ni|)cranco 
society  was  orj^ani/.ed  in  St.  Anthony,  witli  Washini^ton 
(letchell,  i)residi'nt  ;  Isaac  Brown.  vice-presicU'nt  ;  (ieor;^e  F. 
Brott,  secretary  ;  .John  W.  Nortli,  Kufus  Farnham,  Isaacs  V. 
Draper,  and  Allen  Harmon,  ccmimittee. 

On  the  2'2d  tlio  entin*  Express  outfit  was  purcluised  by 
fludj^-e  Atwater  ;  Messrs.  Elmer  Tyler,  H.  and  J.  V.  Wo(k1- 
l)ury,  retirin^jf. 

On  Decendu'r  IHtli  the  ercury  fell  to  twenty  degrees 
1m»1ow  zero,  wliich  proved  to  l)0  about  the  coldest  day  in  the 
winter.  The  ice  below  tlu^  Falls  became  jj;orged  and  spread 
over  tlie  low  jj^nmnds  at  Miller's  and  Cheever's  landint^s,  now 
the  Bohemian  Flats,  so-called.  The  like  was  nt'ver  known 
before  by  the  primitive  settlers,  and  has  never  occurred  since. 
Mr.  licnnon's  warehouse  received  serious  injury  from  tln^  ice. 

The  t'onj^rej^ational  church  buildinj^  was  finished  on  the 
15th.  It  was  (tne  of  the  best  (^lifices  of  the  kind  in  the 
territory. 

The  wintt'r  lectures  before  the  Library  association  were 
coii.menced  December  ItJth,  when  the  new  (^hief -Justice,  M. 
M.  Fuller,  (h'livered  the  first  hi-tiire. 

Th(>  school-cens)is  was  finisiied  D('cend)er  27th,  and  the 
result  showed  that  the  village  contained  one  hundred  and 
eijjjhty-five  school  children,  a  lar^;e  majority  of  them,  with 
their  jiarents,  only  residents  siiut*  the  o|)eninK  of  navigation 
the  pnn'ious  spring  :  tiie  population  having  more  than 
doubled  during  eight  months. 

ST.    A.NTIIt)NY    I'lONKKllS   OF    iKoI. 

The  following  are  amcmg  the  vnluable  citizens  who  came  to 
the  village  in  1H51,  though  a  few  of  the  names  should  have 
IwH'U  included  in  the  lists  of  previous  years  :  ("«»lonel  Knuiniiel 
('ase,  Ira  Murphy.  (Jeorge  E.  Case.  J,  H.  Brown,  Sweet  \V. 
Case.  James  ({ah>  Ca.-M',  Mark  T.  Berry.  A.  H.  Mills,  S. 
Jenkins,  A.  H.  Young,   Dr.  A.  E.  Ameu,  Norman  Jeukixib,  J. 


;-S.: 


*i 


li' 


m 


162 


I'EltHON.Vl,    llECOLLliCTIONH 


('.  Ijawn'Mcc,  Tliomiis  Solf,  Suimiel  Rohh,  Edward  Lippincott, 
Hon.  Samuel  Tlialclu'r,  Cli'orK'i  A.  Camp,  John  T.  Blaisdrll, 
Hiram  Van  Newt,  rhili|>  Frakcr,  S.  IJ.  Sutton,  JoHcph  Li^ 
Due,  A.  CJ.  JIcKcnzii',  Dr.  Y.  Foil,  JanioH  M.  Jarrctt,  LueiuB 
('.  Walkrr.  (1.  li.  Dutton,  ('lin«tophor  (Jn'rlcy,  William 
Ulaisd.'ll,  William  W.  WalcH,  Kohcrt  lihuHdcU,  Hohcrt  IJlaiH- 
dcll,  jr.,  William  (l.  Moffett,  John  V.  (iairnw,  Joci  li.  UiiHst'tt, 
Fleet  F.  Strother,  Isaac  lirown,  C'harleH  CaHO,  P.  Strother, 
JoHt'pli  Mi'iiard,  Rev.  A.  C.  Clodfn«y,  Wat^'rman  Stinsou, 
David  IJickford,  Leonard  Gould,  G.  Corvin,  A.  N.  Hoyt,  Otis 
T.  AVhitney,  Chessman  (Joidd,  Sylvantis  Totirteh)tte,  Isaac  V. 
Draper,  Prof.  E.  W.  Merrill,  H.  H.  Given,  David  A.  Sccomhe, 
E.  L.  Hall,  Timothy  Fletcher,  William  S{KM)ner,  William  Mc 
Farland,  Henry  Fowler,  L.  Cumminus,  J.  C.  Tufts,  Z.  E.  B. 
Nash,  Edf;ar  Nash,  Z.  M.  lirown,  Bt'iijamiu  Sonle,  Benjamin 
Brown,  Georj^e  Davis,  AVilliam  H.  Huhhard,  AVilliam  A. 
Rowell,  Th(tmas  Stinson.  Rev.  Mr.  .Ittnes,  John  Wass,  Charles 
Fish,  Asa  Fletcher,  William  G(KHhvin,  Ezra  Foster,  Munson 
Brothers,  Nathaniel  Til)l)ettH  and  brothers,  B.  F.  Hildreth, 
Leonard  Day  and  sons,  S.  E.  Foster,  A.  J.  Foster,  E.  P. 
Mills,  James  H.  ^fills,  and  William  rjiKchell. 

LAST   or    I'lIK    VISITS   Ol"   TIIK    Itl'.D-MEN. 

The  Indian  chieftain,  Man-of-iln'-Clouds,  with  several  of 
his  tribe,  came  down  from  Oak  Grove,  on  ('liristmas,  seekin^^ 
presents  and  alms  from  R.  P.  Russell,  and  other  ac(pniint<- 
ances  at  the  Falls.  He  said  Ium-' mid  not  expect  to  meet  his 
white  friends  in  this  neij^hborhood  in  the  future,  as  his  band 
would  soon  move  for  tin*  winter  into  the  huntinj^-grounds  of 
the  bijjj-W(MHJs.  and  when  sprinj^  came  he  should  follow  the 
Dakotas  to  tlu'ir  res»'rvation  on  the  upper  Minnesota  river. 
H(»  was  desirous  of  acceptin^^  such  farewell  i^ifts  with  the 
compliments  of  the  season  a^  his  friends,  Mr.  Russell  and 
others,  should  see  projx^r  to  give  liim,  which  ho  should 
cherish  as  tokens  of  friendship  in  his  new  honu;.  As  the 
wily  chieftain  mostly  solicit«»d  perinhable  j.^ifts  (in  their 
liands)such  as  bread,  meat,  suy;ar,  cotlee,  nnd  the  like,  it 
was  e\  ident  that  the  immetjuite  wants  of  the  stomach  were 
the  tokens  by  which  his  former  frieuda  were  to  be  remem- 
iM'red. 

We   nuule  fte  old   Man-of-the-ClondH  and  his  wives  and 


OF    MINNKSOIA     VXD    ITS    I'KOI'LE. 


163 


rhildrcu  happy.  If  I  nMiu'inlxT  correctly,  tin'  old  nmn  wu« 
rij^lit  in  siiyiii;^  that  lie  was  viHitinj^  the  FuHk  for  the  lawt 
time.  Not  so.  lu>\vever,  with  (lood  Itoad,  chief  of  the  other 
band  of  the  lake  Dakota.s.  He  renu'nihered  ns  with  visits 
after  the  removal  to  the  Hedwood  couiilry  ;  hat  the  close  of 
tlie  year  1K51  in  a  mersure  ended  the  protracted  visits  of  the 
Dakotas  to  the  I'^alls.  It  is  true  tlcy  W(»uld  occasionally 
Hwann  down  on  us  by  the  hundreds,  Imt  in  after  years  their 
sojourn  was  of  short  (hiration. 

Both  Man»of-the-Cl(nids  and  Good  Koad  were  horn  on  the 
banks  of  Lake  (*alhoun.  They  liad  ^reat  faith  in  the  lu>a1in^ 
virtues  of  the  water  of  a  sprinj^  at  Owen  Kees.jan's  claim, 
which  they  woidd  conu'  all  the  way  from  Redwood  and  Yellow 
Medicine  to  bathe  in,  and  drink  of.  Then  a^^ain  they  wcmld 
h'nve  the  Aj^ency  in  the  fidl  for  the  purjMise  of  j^atlierin^^  the 
cranberries  that  i^rew  on  tlu'  marshes  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Minne».|M)lis.  These  they  would  si'll  to  the  traders  ;  thou^jh 
as  a  matter  of  history  it  is  well  known  that  after  their  ri'moval 
to  the  new  reservation  they  would,  on  any  occasion  i)ossible, 
visit  their  old  haunts  on  the  bank  of  tlu*  Mississippi  on  the 
east,  and  to  the  Iowa  line  on  the  s<mth.  This  was  not  c«m- 
fined  to  the  ISIedewakanttmwans,  but  to  the  Wahpekutas, 
Wahpetonwans,  ami  other  bands. 

liefon'  the  tnitbreak  in  1802,  they  were  often  the  source  of 
much  annoyance  to  the  wlute  settlers  on  the  meadow  lands, 
from  their  wanderin.LC  habits,  but  the  end  of  the  Indian  war 
of  1H(»2  and  IStJ;]  mostly  ended  their  visitations  to  tliyir  fornu^r 
huntin^-^jfvounds,  the  sites  of  their  old  villages,  and  the 
graves  of  their  fathers. 


m 


•M  m  ■■ 


4 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

A   TEMPERANCE   MOVEMENT   IN   1852. 

Tlioro  wns  from  the  beginning  u  strong  tenipernnoo  element 
in  St.  Anthony,  whieh  inchided  a  larg(^  majority  of  thecitizens. 
This  element  ()l)s»>rved  New  Year's  day  by  a  mass  convention, 
determined  to  blot  out  by  legislative  enactment  the  selling  of 
all  intoxicating  drinks,  inot  only  in  the  village  of  St.  Anthony, 
but  throughout  the  territory.  As  tlu»annual  meeting  of  the 
h>gislature  was  near,  the  convention  was  held  with  a  view  of 
inrtu(>ncing  j)ublic  opinion  in  favor  of  the  movement,  and  of 
strengthening  the  backbone  of  such  members  as  were  in  favor 
of  the  measure. 

It  was  decided  that  a  territorial  temperance  society  should 
be  immediately  organized.  A  committee  was  appointed,  con- 
sisting of  Dr.  V.  Fell,  O.  G.  Loomis,  Edward  Murphy,  S.  E. 
Foster,  John  McDonald,  Isaac  Brown,  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  E.  P. 
Mills,  W.  Getchell,  E.  B.  Stanley,  Isaac  V.  Draper,  Rufus 
Farnham,  Dr.  H.  Fletcher,  James  McMullen,  and  Henderson 
Rogers.  This  committ<'e  was  to  carry  out  the  views  of  the 
convention. 

As  a  matter  of  hist«)ry,  it  can  be  stated  that  they  were 
entirely  successfid  in  their  movement ;  the  h'gislature  passed 
a  moderate  prohibitory  law  ;  but  nt  a  term  of  tin*  United 
States  court  held  in  St.  Paul  subscujuent  to  the  adjournment 
of  the  legislature  the  law  was  declareil  unc(mstitutional. 


LYCEUM  LECTUUKS   DELAYED  MAIL. 

The  course  of  the  New  Year's  lectures  before  the  St.  Anthony 


7th 


OF   MINNKMOTA   AND   ITS   I'lCOl'LE. 


166 


Library  Asfiocintioii  coninicnccd  with  a  j^rral  dcj^rt'c  of  HiuresH. 
Tlu'  Mttt'iidaiuu'  was  lar^c  at  every  lecture.  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames 
gave  the  first  lecture,  on  physiology.  He  was  followed,  during 
th<'  winter,  l»y  ('hi«'f  Justice  Fuller  ;  Kev.  Mr.  Merrick,  t)f  the 
Episcojuil  church,  St.  Paxil  ;  Judge  1{.  15.  Meeker,  Isaac 
Atwater.  W.  I^  >larshall,  W.  G.  Le  Due,  an.l  I'ruf.  Merrill. 
None  of  us  expected  to  get  our  nuul  on  tinu'  innnediately 
after  the  chtse  of  navigati(»n,  but  when  weeks  pnssed,  and  still 
no  news  from  the  great  world  outside  of  Jlinru'sota,  we  became 
impatient.  On  the  2d  of  January  the  delayed  mail  arrived, 
containing  the  President's  annual  message  delivered  at  the 
opening  of  ('ongr»>ss  on  the  first  Monday  in  DectMuber.  Tlu* 
cause  of  the  delay  was  the  difficulty  in  crossing  JJlack  river, 
on  Wymau  Knowlton's  road.  Whih' wtMver«' annoyed  by  the 
repeated  failures  of  the  nuiil,  we  were  so  pleased  to  hear  from 
(mr  friends  in  i^ur  «'arly  aiul  their  eastern  honu^s,  when  the 
mail  came,  that  we  soon  forgot  tlu'  failures. 

BY    DOG-TllAIN   FllO.M    rK.MItlNA. 

The  delegates  from  Pembina  to  the  legislature,  Messrs. 
Norman  \V.  Kittson,  Joseph  Uolette,  and  Antoine  Gingras, 
passed  tlir«>ugh  the  village,  on  their  way  to  St.  Paul,  on 
the  evening  of  the  2d  day  of  January,  IH'}±  They  were 
sixteen  days  nuiking  the  journey.  They  came  in  a  dog-traiu. 
In  those  days  it  was  considered  a  remarkably  rM|)id  traj'sit. 
True,  tln>  sanu'  journey  is  iiMide  nou,  by  rail,  in  as  numy 
hours  as  it  then  required  dfiys.  Three  larg«' Esipiiuuiux  dogs 
in  single  file  were  attached  to  a  long,  narrow,  light  sled,  and 
were  capable  of  nuiking  about  forty  milet^  a  day,  though  it 
was  nece.s.sary  that  fre(|uent  stops  should  be  nuidi'  for  the 
(h)gs  to  rest,  about  t)ne  day  in  three.  TheaniuHils  were  noble 
specinuMis  of  their  species.  Their  heads  were  like  those  of 
the  wolf  ;  they  had  |K)werful  fore-shoulders  ;  wer.*  fleet  of  foot, 
and  capable  of  gnat  endurance  ;  and  when  well-trained  were 
handled  without  difficulty.  They  readily  followed  a  trail. 
Their  food  was  mostly  peniican.  which  is  dried  meat  and 
tallow  «)f  the  buffalo.  These  dogs  were  a  great  curiosity  in 
St.  Paul. 

The  third  h'gislative  assembly  convened  its  session  on  the 
7th  of  January.     (Jovernor  RaiUBey's   message  c(mgratulate<l 


I 


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if 


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PEnHOXAr,    IlKCOLLKCridNS 


tl»»  ppoplc  ill  n'^'iii<l  t(i  tlif  tri'iity  with  the  Indians.  The 
HCHsion  was  a  mild  oiic.  Anioiit;-  llir  laws  of  inliTcst  pusHod 
was  one  crcafiiiLf  tiic  coimty  t»t"  Hriinrpiii. 

V    ITUI.U     KINNKI!     lii    lUANKI.IN    srr.KIJ:. 


On  .laiiiwirv  Ntli,  \S'>2,  iiii  rvcnl  txciinrd  at  St.  Aiitlmiiy, 
of  tJH'  j^n'afrst  inipditaiicc  to  its  fiitiiif  pit>sp«'rity.  Mr. 
Htei'le,  who  Imd,  in  1H4!>,  sold  a  lialf-intcivHt  in  tli«'  mill  and 
other  real  propt'rty  in  tlic  vilhi^e  to  A.  W.  Tayhir  of  JJoston, 
pnrchast'd  it  hack  from  him,  thus  iiiHiiriiij^  prosp«Mity  to  the 
phicc.  Hcrt'tofore  Mr.  Tayh)r  had  refused  t«>s»'ll  h)tst(»those 
who  wanted  to  setth'  on  and  improve  tht'iii.  Mr.  St«'e]e  and 
hiH  partner  .Ard  (iodfrcy  liad  adopted  a  liberal  policy  in 
relation  to  the  disposal  of  property,  I»ut  were,  as  to  actual 
settlers,  thwarted  liy  Mr.  Taylor.  The  sah'  that  Mr.  Taylor 
made  to  Mr.  Steele  was  considered  of  so  much  moment  to  the 
p»'Op]e  that  it  was  detennined  hy  the  citi/.eiis  to  tender  Mr. 
Steele  a  piihlie  dinner  at  the  St.  ('harles  on  the  Kith  of 
January.  Messrs  Charles  T.  Stearns,  (leori^t^  F.  Hrott,  Dr. 
J.  H.  iNIurphy.  Samuel  Thatcher,  jr.,  and  Pierre  Hottineau, 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  make  the  h'lider  to  Mr.  Steele. 
That  {jfeiitleiiian's  icply  to  the  invitation  was  asft)llowH  :  "Fort 
Snellimj;,  January  Kith,  IHfi'i.  (ientlenien  :  1  have  received 
your  kind  invitation  to  dinner  for  Fiiday  ev«'nin^.  Nothing!; 
can  atl'ord  me  more  jileasure  than  to  meet  my  St.  Anthony 
fnends  «iii  that  occasion." 

The  dinner  came  otf  ac(i>rdinf<  to  tlu'  programme.  In 
respon.se  to  the  complimentary  tt)aHt,  "Our  distin)j;nishe(l  and 
estejMned  Lfuest  :  may  he  live  to  see  a  hundred  anniversaries  of 
this  joyous  occasion,"  Mr.  St<'ele  made  an  elo(|ueiit  speech  ; 
returning  profound  thanks  for  the  contidenct-  his  fellow- 
citizens  had  in  him  ;  said  he  had  Ween  a  resid(>nt  of  this 
neighborhood  for  fourteen  y«'ars,  dnriuK  the  last  two  of  which 
the  wilderness  had  <:;\\vu  way  to  fruitful  fields ;  that  his 
friends  had  caused  the  hitherto  lonely  country  to  rejoice  in 
enlightened  t>ccupatioii,  and  the  wikl  lands  to  smile  with  har- 
vests. Interestiii<^  remarks  were  made  by  Hon.  M.  E.  Ames, 
Judge  Atwater,  Major  J.  J.   Noah,  and    Dr.  ('.  W.  Bonij)  of 


St.     Paul,    Hon.    Norman    \\ .    Kittson    of     I'einb 


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OK    MINNESOTA   AND   ITH    I'KOl'LE. 


ir.7 


Mnrtin  McLt'(Hl  of  Onk  drove,  Hon.  ('.  T.  StcnniH,  Dr.  J.  H. 
Murphy,  J.  (I.  liCiuion,  ('.  A.  Tutth',  mul  otlu-r  pnuniut'nt 
j^eutKiiH'ii  of  St.  .Vntliony. 

\    IMONF.KII   OF   Tlir,    I, AST   (KNTl'UV. 

Ainoiiir  tln' (listiii^^uiHlicd  ^(('iillcincii  present  on  that  iiieni- 
ornl>l(>  oeeiisioii  wmh  the  veiieral>h-  Jean  liapti.'^te  Kariliault, 
who  visited  tlu'  Falls  as  early  as  17'.W,  lifty-tuur  years  before. 
He  was  the  pioneer  of  pioneers  in  Minnesota,  trading  with 
tlie  Indians  on  the  hanks  of  the  Mi.ssissippi  two  years  jirevi- 
OUH  to  tlie  ht'Lfinnin^  of  the  presiMit  century.  He  had  a  store 
Ht  Little  Ua|)ids  (now  San  Kraueiseo )  in  Carver  county,  in 
1H()2.  Ill  lH()r>  he  settled  on  Pike  island,  at  the  mouth  of  tho 
Minnes( 

a  vote  of  her  Dakota  friends  in  a  ^rand  <'ouncil.  She  was  a 
MisH  l'ela>.jie,  daughter  of  a  French  merchant,  whose  wif«> 
WHS  a  native  Dakota.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  l-'arihault  had  four  sons, 
Alexander,  Oliver.  David,  and  Frederick.  Hi' had  al.sos«'veral 
d»iu^^ht«'rs,  one  of  whom  was  the  wife  of  an  army  officer  of 
hij^h  lank.     Another  married  Hon.  .\.  IJailey,  tirst  territorial 


>ta    river.     This  island   had  been  j^iven  to  his  wife  by 


representative    in    the    legislature    from    this    district. 


Ml 


Faribault  was  one  of  the  best  judt.fes  in  the  northwest 
on  the  ([uality  ^A'  fur.  He  was  snuill  of  statur*',  and  nvi\- 
tlemanly  in  his  bearing.  He  sent  his  chiltlren  east  to  1h> 
educated.  He  was  born  in  Canada,  in  1774,  and  died  at  the 
residence  of  his  son,  in  Faribault.  August  *2(),  1S(»().  Hr 
reci'ived  a  liberal  education  in  early  life,  and  was  a  pun', 
hont'st  man,  whose  meuKU'y  is  cherished  by  all  who  had  the 
pleasure  of  his  accjuaintance. 

NOTAIJI.i:    DKATII       KXTIIIlMi;    COM)      FIUSI'    FIHF,. 

.Ml  classes  of  people  were  ;^reatly  surprise<l  anil  tj;rieved  to 
learn  that  Him.  Henry  L.  Tilden.  foruu'riy  l.  S.  Marshal, 
and  secretary  (tf  the  council,  died  at  his  home  in  St.  I'nul  on 
on  tlu^  17th  of  January. 

Considerable  siill'erin^  was  occasioned  on  the  2(tth  in  con- 
se(|uence  of  the  extreme  cold  weather,  the  mercury  fallii.j^  to 
forty  decrees  below  y,«'ro  ;  probably  considerably  lower,  but 
uo  one  had  a  spirit  therm(»meter  to  indicate  the  tem|H'rature. 


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168 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


The  Express  made  light  of  the  low  temperature  ;  said  it  was 
true  the  weather  was  coolish,  even  chilly  ;  but  no  one  suffered 
any  inconvenience,  and  the  cold  made  business  more  lively. 

On  the  18th  the  first  fire  occurred  in  the  village.  Geo.  F. 
Brott's  carriage-factory  was  totally  consumed,  at  a  loss  of 
several  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  F.  B.  Bachelor's  paint-shop 
was  in  the  upper-story  of  the  factory.  His  loss  was  also 
heavy.  The  propeHy  was  not  insured,  as  the  fire  occurred 
before  the  days  of  insurance  companies  in  the  country  ;  though 
in  consequence  of  the  fire  one  of  the  Hartford  fire  insurance- 
companies  appointed  an  agent  in  St.  Anthony. 

VISIT   TO   THE   PINERIES   AND   MILLE   LAC. 

In  making  an  extended  trip  through  the  extreme  northwest, 
leaving  St.  Anthony  on  the  20th,  in  company  with  John  Geo. 
Lennon,  I  visited  the  jnneries  on  Eum  river,  following  that 
stream  to  its  stnirce,  Mille  Lac,  v^•here  we  found  several 
Indian  traders  on  the  banks  of  the  lake.  The  Mille  Lac 
Indians,  so  called,  were  of  the  ChipiJewa  nation.  Of  the  many 
beautiful  lakes  in  Minnesota,  there  are  none  Huj)erior  to  this. 
At  a  siibsequent  visit  to  this  lake  the  same  winter,  with  my 
ancient  neighbor,  Calvin  A.  Tuttle,  he  said  the  probabilities 
were  that  some  day,  when  there  would  be  a  great  city  at  the 
Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  the  people  of  that  city  would  depend 
upoii  this  lake  for  their  daily  supply  of  water.  A  person 
cannot  see  across  the  lake.  The  distance  from  shore  to  shore 
is  said  to  be  forty  miles.  The  surface  of  the  lake  contained 
numeroxis  tents  on  the  ice,  whicli  were  used  by  the  Indians 
for  fishing.  A  hole  was  cut  through  the  ice,  a  small  tent 
placed  over  it,  and  an  Indian  would  catch  a  large  number  of 
fish  from  the  place  during  the  winter.  The  Indians  had  a 
way  of  i)reserving  the  fish  by  drying  them  over  a  small  fire, 
and  afterwards  smoking  them.  It  was  said  that  fish  preserved 
in  this  way  would  be  pfdatcable  for  a  long  time. 

Go(xl  old  Father  Hennepin  was  a  i)risoner  on  an  island  in 
this  lake  two  centiiries  ago.  At  that  time  the  Dakotns  had 
possession  of  it.  Large  groves  of  hard-wood  maple  are  found 
on  the  borders  of  the  lake,  from  which  the  Indians  made 
sugar  every  spiing.  The  sap  flowed  into  small  l)ucket8  ingen- 
iously made  of  white  birch  bark.  , 


timmm 


w 


\i 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


169 


A 


MILLE   LAC   AS   A    PROBABLE   WATER-SUPPLY    FOB    MINNEAPOLIS. 

It  is  not  im})rol)able  tlint  Mr.  Tuttle's  prediction  may  prove 
tnie  in  regard  to  the  nse  of  water  from  Mille  Lac  for  tlio  city 
at  the  Falls.  Tliere  are  no  difficulties  in  the  way  that  engin- 
eering cannot  easily  overcome  in  conveying  the  water  to  this 
point.  The  problem  of  fin  unlimited  supply  of  j)ure  water  for 
the  rapi<lly-increasing  popiilation  of  our  wonderfully  fine  city 
must  soon  be  solved,  and  the  sooner  the  better. 

CANADIAN  STOVES    -WINTER  IMPROVEMENTS      SUSPENSION  BRIDGE 

We  were  ( as  on  i)revious  winters  in  traveling  through  the 
northwest)  surprised  to  find  at  every  trading  outpost  that 
the  stoves  in  use  were  made  at  St.  Maurce,  a  suburb  of  Three 
Rivers,  a  little  city  between  Montreal  and  Quebec,  in  Canada. 
These  stoves,  in  the  early  days,  were  in  universal  use  in  the 
northwest.  The  (juarters  at  Fort  Snelling  had  them.  The 
Fur  Comi)any  used  them.  They  were  brought  from  Canada 
by  way  of  the  great  lakes. 

Retiimiug  on  the  7tli  of  February,  I  was  pleased  to  notice 
that  several  new  buildings  had  been  (Mimmenced  in  St. 
Anthony  during  my  absence.  Cold  as  that  season  was,  there 
were  some  who  were  so  impatient  to  make  improvements  they 
would  not  wait  until  spring  but  commenced  t)i)eratiou8  in 
mid-winter.  At  this  time  St.  Anthony  had  nine  stores,  one 
cabinet-shop,  four  blacksmith  shops,  two  carriage  factories, 
and  other  industries.  On  the  21st  of  February  the  legisla- 
ture j)assed  a  bill  aiithoi'izing  the  building  of  a  bridge  over 
the  Mississippi  from  Nicollet  Island  to  the  western  shore  of 
the  river.  The  incorpoivators  were  Franklin  Steele,  H^^^ry 
H.  Sibley,  Henry  M.  Rice,  Calvin  A.  Tuttle,  Isaac  Atwater, 
John  H.  Stevens,  John  (le(n'ge  Lennon,  John  Rollins,  A.  E. 
Ames,  and  D.  E.  Moulton,  all  of  Minnesota  ;  and  Robert 
Smith  of  Alton,  and  Buel  G.  Wheeler,  of  Rockford,  Illinois. 

HIGH   PRICES   THE   RULE   IN    1852. 

Perhaps  because  tired  of  living  on  salt  meats,  salt  fish, 
venison,  and  other  game,  during  the  winter,  when  fresh  pork 
from  Iowa  was  placed  in  tlie  market  it  readily  sold  for  twelve 
and  a  half  cents  per  pound.  On  the  22d  of  February  a  saloon- 
keeper, wishing  to  purchase  a  few  eggs  to  make  "  tom-and- 
jerry",  so  that  Washingtt)n's  birthday  could  be,  as  he  said, 
properly  celebrated,  had  to  pay  forty  cents  a  dozen  for  them. 


170 


I'EllSONAL   IIECOLI.ECTTONS 


Everythintjf  ruled  lii^li  at  the  Falls  during-  tlio  winter  of  1852. 
Even  hay  hecanie  searee.  The  meadows  back  of  the  city  iu 
the  fall  had  contained  a  large  amount  of  hay,  Avhich  had  been 
proi)erly  stacked,  bxit  a  large  portion  of  it  had  mysteriously 
disappeared  during  the  early  winter,  and  when  the  owners 
went  for  it  in  J.^ebruaiy  it  wms  not  to  be  found,  and  they  never 
discovered  what  became  of  it. 

A   SOCIETY   AVEDDINCt   ANT)   f'HUHCH    FESTIA'ITIES. 

Our  high-slieriff,  Geo.  F.  Brott,  had  become  convinced  that 
it  was  not  good  for  man  to  live  alone.  Consequently,  on  the 
19th  of  February  he  married  Miss  Mary  G.  Stearns,  the  accom- 
plished daughter  of  Hoji.  C.  T.  Steams.  Rev.  Chas.  Secombe, 
of  the  Congregational  church,  officiated  on  the  occasion.  A 
marriage  in  the  village,  during  the  <^arly  days,  was  an  uncom- 
mon event,  and  it  was  properly  observed  by  what  would  now 
be  called  the  society  people.  Though  few  were  given  in  mar- 
riage, the  social  season  at  the  Falls  continued  all  tlu'ough  the 
long  winter.  There  were  Imlls,  ])arties,  lectures,  lyceums, 
and  gatherings  of  old  and  young  at  private  residences,  all  to 
close  for  th(>  season,  on  the  second  of  March,  with  a  grand 
donation  visit  to  Rev.  C.  G.  Ames  and  his  excellent  wife,  at 
the  home  of  Deacon  Allen  Harmon.  The  committee  to  man- 
age the  gathering  represent(Ml  ev{>rv  chui'ch  in  the  village. 
For  instance,  Jtdin  W.  Noriii,  E,  P.  Mills,  Thomas  Chambers, 
and  H.  Jenkins,  were  fi'om  the  Congregational  church  ;  Prof. 
Merrill,  Mrs.  Merrill,  and  Miss  Maiy  Murphy,  from  the 
Methodist  church  ;  AVm.  H.  Townsend,  Geo.  W.  Prescott, 
Mrs.  Prescott,  and  Miss  Nason,  the  Baptist  church  ;  Dr.  V. 
Fell,  Mrs.  Fell,  and  Miss  Lucy  Harmon,  the  Free-Will 
Baptist  church  ;  while  Henry  Fowler,  Mrs.  Fowler,  George 
Burrows,  H.  Rogers,  E.  R.  Ramsdell,  Miss  North,  Mrs.  C.  D. 
and  Mrs.  A.  H.  Dorr,  Miss  Dorr,  and  Miss  Adeline  Jefferson, 
represented  different  cliurches.  As  the  first  donation  visit 
ever  held  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  it  was  a  great  success. 
Every  one  contributed  to  the  worthy  pastor  and  his  wife,  and 
every  one  was  hapi)y.  ■ 

OTHEl!  EVENTS  OF  THE  WINTER.  ' 

Two  days  after  the  hapi)y  event  above  described,  March  4, 
the  store  of  Daniel  Stanchfield  was  consumed  by  fire.     This 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  rKOPLK. 


171 


"was  the  second  sorioiis  fire  in  St.  Anthony.  Mr.  Stanohfiekl 
had  a  heavy  stock  of  goods,  and  all  was  consiinied. 

On  the  13th  Isaac  Atwater  was  apjjointed  rt'i)orter  for  the 
supreme  court.      ^  ^^^^    /'  ^  6'-i^ 

On  the  20th  the  mails  were  only  twenty-one  days  behind 
time.  This  fact  indicated  that  si)rin,y;  was  near,  and  that  the 
mail-carrier  ctmld  not  get  across  the  rivers  between  Prairie 
du  Chien  and  St.  Paul,  in  consecpience  of  the  ice  breaking. 
The  uncertainties  of  the  mail  wei'e  of  more  anxiety  to  us  than 
our  money,  or  anything  else.  On  the  22d  new  ice  m\ist  Iwive 
been  made,  as  the  thermometer  showed  ten  degrees  beloM* 
zero.     Spring  not  so  near  as  we  exi)ected. 

OUIl   OLD   OfrJNTY   150UNDAKY. 

After  the  adjounnnent  of  the  legislature,  the  few  of  us  on 
the  west  side  of  the  river  determined  to  celebrate,  in  a  quiet 
way,  the  i)assage  of  tlie  bill  for  a  new  <'ounty.  "We  found  on 
examination  of  the  records  that  our  new  boundaries  had  at 
different  times  been  included  in  the  county  of  Dcs  ^loiiies, 
county  of  Dxibuque,  county  of  Clayton,  and  coi^nty  of  Ala- 
makee,  all  of  the  territory  and  state  of  loMa;  and  the  county 
of  Dakota,  Minnesota.  We  were  inclined  to  believe  that, 
could  the  i)roper 'records  have  been  hunted  up.  Me  were  once 
included  in  some  of  the  counti  ^s  of  Missouri. 

DISCUSSINT.   A   NAMi.   FOll   OUIl   TOWN.       j  ^  5^ %. 

The  St.  Anthony  Express  of  the  27th  of  March,  just  prior 
to  our  meeting,  strt)ngly  advised  selecting  sonu^  other  name 
than  All  Saints  for  our  embryo  village.  This  matter  was 
considered,  but  while  all  rejoiced  at  the  passage  of  the  bill 
giving  us  a  new  county,  when  the  suggestion  of  the  Exj)ress 
was  considered  we  discovennl  there  W(>re  "  many  men  of 
different  minds'",  and  a  permanent  name  ccmld  not  be  agreed 
upon.  The  Exjjress  wanted  to  know  how  the  name  of  Hen- 
nepin would  suit  our  fancy.  That  paper  thought  it  woxdd  be 
highly  i)roper  to  name  the  ])rospective  village  after  the  first 
white  man  who  witnessed  the  dancing  waters  of  St.  Anthony, 
and  said  thi^  "  day  was  not  far  distant  avIu^u  the  west  side  of 
the  Falls  would  be  the  second  city  in  Minnesota,  always 
remembering  that  St.  Anthony  will  be  the  first".  AVhile  we 
were  i)leased  with  the  complimentaiy  remarks  in  regard  to 
our  future  prospects,  the  name  of  Hennepin  did  not  strike  us 


I 


m 


172 


PEKHONAI-    UECOLLECTIONS 


m 


favorably,  because  it  was  tiio  name  of  our  county.  Had  that 
been  called  Snelling,  as  we  wanted  it,  t)ur  choice  would  have 
been  unauinious  for  adopting  the  suggestion,  and  no  doubt 
future  letters  from  the  west  side  would  have  been  dated  Hen- 
nepin, Snelling  county,  Minnesota,  instead  of  Minneapolis, 
Hennepin  county,  Minnesota. 

INCIDENTS   OF   THE   Sl'ldNii    OF   1852. 

During  the  last  wet^k  in  March,  most  all  the  teains,  with  the 
crews  engaged  in  the  lumbi'r  business  in  the  pineries,  arrived 
in  St.  Anthony.  Tliose  that  wex'e  in  good  working  order  were 
fattened  for  a  few  weeks,  and  sent  to  the  shambles.  Pinery 
beef  was  the  subject  of  tunny  editorials  in  the  Pioneer. 

The  steamer  Governor  Ramsey  had  been  comi)letely  over- 
hauled and  put  in  excellent  condition  for  the  navigation  of 
the  upper  Mississippi  for  the  api)roaching  season.  In  the 
early  spring  Captain  Rollins  sold  the  steamer  to  Captain 
Parker,  Benj.  Soule,  A.  H.  and  C.  D.  Dorr,  and  Dr.  C.  W. 
Borup.  In  the  change  of  the  ownership  of  the  boat  the  same 
popular  officers  and  crew  were  I'etained.  The  river  was  free 
from  ice  on  the  second  of  April,  and  the  steamer  resumed  its 
regular  trijis  for  the  year.  Captain  Tapper's  ferry  was  j)ut 
in  good  order  at  the  same  time. 

After  a  slight  fall  of  snow  during  the  first  days  of  April, 
Hobart  AVhitson,  who  resided  above  the  Falls,  came  upon  the 
tracks  of  a  strange*  animal.  Following  them  for  a  few  miles, 
he  came  near  an  iTidian  encampment.  He  turned  over  the 
trail  to  the  Indians,  who  followed  it  for  over  ten  miles,  when 
the  animal  took  refuge  iip  a  tree,  and  was  killed.  It  was  said 
tiiat  the  strange  beast  was  three  feet  high,  and  seven  feet 
eleven  inches  long  from  the  tip  of  the  nose  to  the  end  of  the 
tail.  It  was  thought  to  be  the  first  animal  of  the  kind  ever 
seen  in  Minnesota.  It  was  probably  a  panther.  Another 
animal  of  the  same  kind  was  seen  a  few  days  afterwards,  but 
escaped  from  the  Indians  who  were  hunting  it.  About  the 
same  time  an  eagle  of  tremendous  size  soared  around  Cheever's 
hill,  now  the  site  of  the  University.  This  i)articiilar  king  of 
birds  was  strong  enough  to  carry  off  a  sheej:).  lie  was  caught 
in  a  trap  through  the  ingenuity  of  ont^  of  i\w  j)ioneers,  with- 
out being  much  injured.  For  a  while  this  bird  was  the 
winged  favorite  of  the  village. 


Ill 


OF   MINNESOTA    AND    ITS    I'KOPLE.  173 

OntheUth^f-AprilCnlvin  A.  Tuttle  nnd  Simon  Stevens 
returned  from  an  exploring  expedition  immediately  south  and 
west  of  tlie  Falls.  Tliey  reported  the  discovery  »)f  what  is 
now  Lake  Minnetonka.  The  Exi)ress  said  the  discovery 
created  a  j,ood  deal  of  excitement.  Messrs.  Tuttle  and 
Stevens  j^ave  the  lake  the  name  of  "  Peninsiila,"  from  the 
fact  it  containiMl  so  many  arms  extendinjj;  out  and  in  nil 
around  its  Ixmndr.ries  ;  hut  during  the  following  nionth  Gov. 
Ramsey  and  a  ]iarty  visited  the  new  wtmder,  and  the  governor 
christened  it  Minnetonka,  a  name  it  retains  to  this  day. 
While  the  existence  of  so  large  a  body  of  water  was  unknown 
to  the  new  immigrants  of  1849  and  two  sid)se(iuent  years,  the 
old  settlers  were  well  acquainted  with  its  waters  ;  hut  the 
great  beauty  of  the  lake  had  never  been  described  to  the  new- 
comers. In  fact  the  lake  had  been  visited  by  Joseph  R. 
Jirown,  and  a  son  of  Colonel  Snelling,  as  early  as  1822.  In 
after  years  Franklin  Steele  and  Martin  McLeod  also  made  a 
pilgrimage  to  Minnetonka,  nnd  prol)nbly  mnny  other  old 
residents  also  visited  it. 

A  sad  event  occiirred  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Fowler.  His 
daughter  was  accidentally  shot  by  her  brother.  It  was  the 
repetition  of  so  mnny  accidents  ever  since  the  introduction  of 
fii-enrms.  The  youngster  did  not  know  the  gun  was  loaded. 
This  was  the  first  accident  of  the  kind  that  occurred  at  the 
Fnlls.     It  is  to  be  regretted  it  was  not  the  last. 

The  able  pen  of  Rev.  T.  Rowell,  a  Presbyteriari  clergyman 
t)f  much  talent,  contributed  articles  to  the  Exjnvss  which, 
with  those  of  the  editor-in-chief,  Isaac  Atwater,  gave  the 
paper  an  excellent  reputation  over  the  whole  Union.  Mr. 
Rowell  had  been  a  resideirt  of  the  village  since  the  jirevious 
year.  Mr.  Atwater's  increasing  professional  business  rendered 
it  necessary  that  he  should,  in  a  measure,  retire  fi-om  the 
more  active  duties  of  writing  editor.  In  May,  Geo.  D.  Bov,-- 
man,  from  P(?nnsylvania,  visited  the  Falls  on  a  pi'ospecting 
tour.  He  came  highly  recommended  as  a  newspaper  man. 
Mr.  Atwater  made  an  arrangement  with  Mr.  Bownnin  by 
which  he  was  relieved  fnmi  the  ai'diious  (hities  of  the  ])aper. 
Mr.  Bowman  continued  on  the  Express  for  many  years,  and 
became  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  territory  nnd  state. 
Like  most  every  one  else,  he  dealt  in   real-estate  ;  for  a  time 


■n 

''is 


174 


I'EKSONAL    UKCUI.LECTIONH 


Ik 


successfiilly  ;  in  the  end,  diHnBtrouHly.  He  received  nn 
important  Federal  apimintment  in  New  Mexit  o,  which  he 
held  for  u  long  jjeriod,  iind  it  is  believed  he  in  still  a  renident 
of  that  territory.  AVith  the  exception  of  Charles  Hoag,  who 
invented  it,  we  are  more  indebted  to  Mr.  Bowman  than  any 
person  f'-*  the  name  our  proud  city  bears. 

'n.  On  A   HI  yOth  llev.  Lyman  Palmer  made  his  home  in  St. 

•^  Alithouy,  and  became  one  of  the  most  iisefiil  and  respected 
citizens  of  the  village.  For  years  he  occupied  the  pulpit  of 
the  Baptist  church,  which  greatly  prospered  under  his  long 
pastorate.  After  retiring  from  active  labor  in  St.  Anthony, 
he  preached  in  different  sections  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Falls. 
He  is  greatly  esteemed  by  all  denominations  of  Christians,  as 
well  as  by  the  piiblic  generally. 


-V 


THE  UNIVERSITY   OF   MINNESOTA. 


\ 


\  The  so-called  preparatory  department  of  the  University  of 
Minnesota,  at  that  time,  under  the  auspices  of  Prof.  Merrill, 
closed  its  first  term  the  last  week  in  Ajnil.  All  were  proud 
of  the  perparatory  department.  We  were  extravagant  in  our 
expectations  ;  we  dreamed  of  a  mammoth  educational  institu- 
tion at  the  Falls  when  the  plans  of  the  regents  should  be 
p<h*fectcd.  The  officers  were  earnest  in  their  work,  but  had 
scarcely  any  money  at  their  command  to  prepare  the  way  for 

•  anything  but  the  preparatory  school.  They  had  secured  the 
services  of  an  excellent  principal ;  the  beginning  was  a  success  ; 
but  none  of  us  had  the  least  conception  that  in  a  generation 
this  small  nucleus  of  1852  would  expand  into  one  of  the  most 
Buccessfal  seats  of  learning  on  the  continent,  with  more  pro- 
fessors and  teachers  than  there  were  students  at  the  first 
term  of  the  preparatory  department,  and  with  more  students 
within  its  stately  halls  than  there  were  inhabitants  in  St. 
Anthony,  All  Saints,  and  all  the  immediate  country  around 
the  Falls.  Since  that  humble  beginning,  the  University  of 
Minnesota  has  been  blessed  with  able  men  in  the  presidential 
chair,  talented  professors  of  a  justly  world-wide  reputation, 
and  teachers  who  have  few  equals,  yet  none  of  all  these  were 
superior  as  educators  to  the  first  principal  of  the  University 
of  Minnesota,  Professor  E.  A.  Merrill,  A.  M. 

The  tide  of  immigration  for  1852  was  in  a  great  measure 
centered  on  the  banks  of  tlte  Mississii)i)i,  St.  Anthony  receiv- 


<>l 


OF  MINNEHOTA   AND   ITS   IT.GI'LE, 


175 


ing  its  full  kIuut.  In  early  s^jring  E/ni  J3oriiian  came  up 
from  Hazel  (Jreeu,  Wisconsin,  and  purchased  i)ro])erty,  and 
immediately  commenced  the  t'rection  of  a  large  hrick  Imilding, 
which  was  the  first  structure  in  the  village  nuide  of  brick. 
Mr.  Dorman's  interesting  family,  his  stm,  and  hits  son-in-luw, 
N.  H.  Hemiiip,  with  their  families,  followed. 

Dr.  C.  L.  Anderson  arrived  in  May,  and  comnKMiced  a  suc- 
cessfxil  practice.  He  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  but  came  to 
Minnesota  from  Indiana.  Aside  from  his  j)ractico,  he  was 
a  geologist,  entomologist,  and  florist,  of  rare  industry  and 
attainments.  He  loved  Nature  in  all  her  beautiful  and  won- 
derf-al  works.  He  contributed  many  able  articles  to  the  press 
of  that  day.  He  married  an  excellent  young  lady  during  his 
stay  here.  d[is  literary  attainments  were  of  a  high  order. 
Early  in  the  sbcties  h(>  removed  to  the  Pacific  sloi)e.  Tarry- 
ing a  few  years  in  Nevada,  he  made  a  very  completi>  catr.logue 
of  the  Flora  of  that  strangely  interesting  region.  For  some 
twenty  yefirs  no  has  been  a  resident  of  Santa  Cruz,  California, 
where  his  skill  as  a  physician,  and  his  attainments  as  a  scien- 
tist, are  widely  appreciated.  His  two  daiighters,  born  in 
Minneapolis,  are  talented  in  a  literary  and  artistic  way. 

Mr.  J.  Peddington  also  arrived  iu  May,  1852. 

A  jubilee  was  held  on  the  31st  of  May  on  the  occasion  of 
the  landing  of  the  steamer  Dr.  Franklin  No.  2,  Captain 
Smith  Harris.  The  Franklin  steamed  up  almost  to  the  foot 
of  Hennepin  Island. 

Up  to  this  period  there  had  been  only  a  weekly  mail.  Fre- 
quently, however,  several  weeks  would  elapse  without  mail 
service.  Especially  this  was  so  iu  the  fall  after  navigation 
had  closed,  and  in  the  sjjring  before  navigation  was  resumed. 
On  the  24th  of  May  our  delegate  in  congress,  Mr.  Sibley, 
obtained  an  order  from  the  general  postoffice  deiiartmeTit  at 
Washington  for  three  mails  per  week.  The  news  of  increased 
mail  facilities  was  received  by  the  citizens  with  great  satis- 
faction. Of  course  the  route  was  a  short  one,  only  from  St. 
Paul,  but  it  added  greatly  in  the  delivery  of  early  mail  matter 
at  the  Falls. 

Very  many  valuable  improvements  were  commenced  iu  the 
spring  of  this  year.  Aside  from  Mr.  Dorman's  brick  struc- 
ture, Elmer  Tyler  commenced  building  a  block  on  lower 


'■  i 


17(; 


l-KltSONAL    llErOLLKC'TlOXS 


iniiin  strort,  whirli  was  tlio  lu'a(l(|iiiirtt'rs  of  so  many  nu>rcliant8 
ior  so  many  years. 

It  wasi'onsiih'rt'il  that  if  an  ox,  i-ow,  or  othtT  animal.  junijH'd 
vivorboanl  from  Captain  Tapper's  forry-boat,  \vliih>  in  transit 
ivoux  ouv  shore  to  the  other,  tlie  beast  would  be  earried  over 
tlie  Falls  and  killed  ;  and  this  had  always  been  the  case  ;  but 
on  June  Ith,  Warren  lirist«)l  had  a  tine  yoke  of  »>xen,  whieh 
Caj)tain  Tajjper  was  ferrying  over  the  riv(>r.  They  became 
restless,  and  backed  off  the  boat.  Straniije  as  it  may  seem, 
they  came  out  on  the  shore  without  receivinijf  the  sli<j;hte8t 
injury. 

A  public  uuM'ting  was  held  on  the  (Uh  for  the  purjK>se  of 
adoptiuLj  measures  for  a  jniblic  cemetery.  S.  Thatcher  occu- 
pied the  chair,  and  Dr.  J,  H.  Murphy  was  the  Secretary. 
R.  AV.  Cumminn's  beautifid  ujrouiuls  east  oi  the  villag(>  were 
selected  and  secured  for  the  site.  It  is  in  use  to  this  day  for 
that  i)urpose.      C,^^ 

On  the  11th'  of  J\ine  news  was  received  that  Franklin 
Pierce,  of  New  Hampshire,  had  received  the  democratic  nom- 
ination for  President  of  the  United  States.  A  few  days  later 
tlu>  ])roceedin.ti;s  of  the  Whig  national  convention  that  nomin- 
ated General  "Winfield  Scott  for  President  were  received.  The 
members  of  Imth  parties  endeavored  to  get  uj)  ratitication 
meetings,  but  votera  were  t^io  biisy  with  other  matters,  and 
no  meetings  of  a  national  political  character  were  held. 

June  20th  a  rousing  gathering  of  the  jjeople  occurred  in 
relation  to  siM'uring  the  landing  of  steand)oats  at  the  Falls. 
Messrs.  Stearns,  Bristol,  Tnjiper,  Cheever,  and  E.  L.  Hall, 
were  a])pointed  a  committee  to  forward  the  interests  of  the 
navigation  of  the  river  up  to  the  Falls.  A  large  sum  of  money 
was  raised  for  the  ])ur])ose  of  removing  the  boulders  said  to 
interfere  w^Hx  the  safety  of  the  l)oats,  from  Meeker's  island 
u])  to  the  landing.  The  contract  for  blasting  them  out  was 
let  to  Captain  John  Rollins. 

Many  citizens  were  determined  to  test  the  new  temperance 
law.  On  the  22d  of  June  papers  were  issued  from  the  oflice 
of  Isaac  I.  Tjcwis,  then  a  justice  of  the  peace,  for  the  jnirpose 
of  bringing  Mr.  Cloutier  before  the  court  to  answer  for  an 
alleged  violation  of  the  law.  John  W.  North  appeared  for 
the  territorj',  and  E.  L.  Hall  for  the  defendant.     Judgment 


n 


OF    .MIXNKSOTV    AM)    ITS    PKOPLK. 


177 


was  rciKlonnl  iiijrainst  Mr.  Cloutior,  Imt  n\\  nppoal  was  taken 
to  tho  Unitod  Statt^  CVmrt,  ami  the  jutljjrmeiit  reversetl  on  the 
ground  tliat  tlu'  law  in  question  was  nneonstitutional, 

ln(le]HMi(leiice  »lay  was  not  ol)s«'rv»'(l  in  St.  Anthony  ;  not 
but  wluit  tlie  |MH>])le  w»Ti«  jwit riot ie.  but  they  preferred  to  cele- 
brate tliat  niemorabU'  day  by  visitinuj  the  lakes  in  a  ijuiet 
maimer.  Many  of  the  citizens,  headed  by  Al.  Stone,  attended 
a  ball  nt  the  St.  I^niis^ hou.se.  near  the  cold-s|)rin<^s,  below 
Minnehalui  Falls.      ^  4)5  *^ 

On  the  0th  of  Jidy  news  was  received  of  the  death  of  Henry 
Clay,  whicli  occurred  at  l»is  home  in  Kentucky  cm  the  '2(Hh  of  V^^ve-  /^0< 
the  previous  month.     The  Express  appeared  in  deep  moiim^ 
ing  in  conseiiuence.  as  a  token  of  sorrow. 

Jidy  l'2th  tlie  marriai^'  of  William  H.  Towns(>nd  and  Emily 
J.  Nas«>n  occurred.  Mr.  T*>wn.send  represented  St.  Anthony 
in  the  Iowim-  hou.se  of  the  tirst  state  IcL'-slature. 

On  the  '2t)th  of  Jidy  Dr.  J.  H.  Murphy  and  wife  sustained 
a  {jfreat  loss  in  the  death  of  their  only  ehud,  Litieor  Ella,  a 
bright,  promising  little  girl. 

August  ()th,  Simon  Stevens  and  C\»mpany  coiumenced  the 
erection  of  their  mill  at  Minuetonka.  At  this  time  Ca})tain 
Rollins  had  fiuisheil  his  contract  for  removing  all  the 
boulders,  and  other  obstacles  from  the  river,  that  interfered 
with  the  running  of  steamboats  between  Fort  Snelling  and 
the  landings  at  the  Falls. 

On  the  Gth  an  exciting  election  came  otf  in  St.  Anthony. 
Lardner  Bostwick  was  electetl  city-justice  by  a  majority  of 
sixty  over  all  oj)iK»sition.  This  was  the  stejiping-stono  by 
which  Judge  Bostwick  subsetjuently  acceptably  held  for 
almost  a  cpiarter  of  a  century  so  many  ditferent  offices. 

On  the  18th  the  di.stingnished  American  autlum^ss,  Mrs. 
E.  F.  Ellet,  arrived.  She  was  accomjmnied  by  Miss  Clark, 
who  has  t^ince  become  s*i  widely  known  as  a  writer.  Mrs. 
Ellet  visited  the  wilds  (»f  the  upjx'r  country  at  the  instance 
t)f  M.  Y.  Beach.  editi>r-in-chief  of  the  New  York  Sun,  a  man 
of  great  prominence  in  the  literary  worki  in  his  day.  He 
was  a  ctnitemiHirary  of  Horace  Greeley,  the  elder  Bennett,  a 
friend  of  N.  V.  Willis,  the  two  Clarks,  Willis  Gaylord  and  his 
distinguisheil  brother.  Mr.  Beach,  in  company  with  his  wife, 
had   visited  us  the  year  before,  ami  was  delighted  with  the 


if  -k 


178 


VEttSOSlL    kCLULL£c"riUN.S 


x/ 


new  country.  In  iht' early  fifties  his  jxipcr  liiul  j^rivit  influ- 
ence thrc)uy;hont  lli«'  Uuion,  and  hail  the  liir^est  circulation  oi 
jiny  iK)Uliciil  pajxr  t»n  this  contim'nt.  Mrs.  Ellet  was  ii  lively 
little  laily,  who  hit'oud  amoD;^  the  foremost  t'enmle  writers  in 
America  of  that  day.  She  and  Miss  Clark  visited  Lake  Min- 
netonka,  and  were  umon^  the  first  to  descril>e  to  the  world  its 
great  extent  and  iM'autifal  stenerj'.  They  cainped  out  several 
nights  on  the  borders  of  the  lake  so,  as  she  said,  she  might 
"know  just  how  it  was  to  lie  a  pioneer  in  earn"st".  Simon 
Stevens  and  a  crew  i»f  nitx-hanics  were  at  that  time  the  only 
residents  in  the  ueighlwrbotjd  of  Minnetonka.  Stevens  and 
some  of  the  men  wht»  were  at  work  with  him  accompa'.ied 
the  ladies  in  his  V>at  aiooiHl  everj- nook  and  corner  of  the 
lake,  making  them  cxunfortable  and  separate  cnmps  for  the 
night,  and  taking  them  l»y  ibiy  to  the  different  points  of 
interest  around  llu^  lake.  They  were  the  lirst  white  ladies 
that  ever  visited  Minnt-iouka. 

The  result  of  Mrs.  EUel's  risit  to  this  territory  was  the 
publication  of  two  of  her  aiuet  delightful  vohimes,  one  of 
them  on  the  women  o{  the  vest,  and  the  other  on  her  western 
travels.  She  spent  several  days  under  my  humble  roof.  She 
was  greatly  interest*^  in  the  future  of  this  side  of  the  river. 
For  many  years  she  wooM  write  to  me  from  her  home  in 
New  York  asking  al»t»ut  the  progress  of  Minneapolis. 

A  social  event  occurrwl  on  the  8th  of  August,  of  some 
moment,  esix^cially  when  we  consiiler  that  there  were  only 
two  or  three  bachelors  on  tiiis  side  of  the  river,  and  only 
about  the  same  nmnWr  of  girls ;  so  when  John  Tapper  mar- 
ried Miss  Matilda  Stiuson  we  all  took  a  holiday.  Rev.  Mr. 
Rowell,  from  St  Anthony,  officiated  at  the  marriage  ceremony. 

Our  new  and  valued  physician.  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  was 
appointed  surgeon  at  Fort  Snelling,  but  after  a  service  of  a 
few  weeks  he  resigned  the  ^^ce. 

On  the  27th  of  August^Cne^d  news  was  received  that  Col. 
James  M.  Goodliue,  ctf  Sl  Paul,  eilitor  of  the  Pioneer,  was 
dead.  He  was  only  forty-two  years  okL  Unquestionably  he 
was  the  ablest  editor  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi. 

On  the  10th  of  Septemljer,  under  the  auspices  of  Governor 
Ramsey,  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs,  all  the  trouble 
with  the  Dakotas  in  relatia>u  to  the  different  interpretations 


Ol'    MINNKSOT.V   AM)   ITS   I'KOPLK. 


170 


,'er. 
in 


was 
)£  a 


of  tho  Tmv(uw>  di'H  Sioux  trcnty  was  hcltlrd  to  the  natisfac- 
tion  of  both  tlio  whites  and  the  red  men  wlio  wt-rr  the  chief 
j)artieii)iiiits  in  tlie  treaty. 

Tallnwif^f  Elwfll  came  over  from  Wisconsin  and  established 
nn  art  j^all«'ry  in  the  early  fall.  Since  that  period  Mr.  Ehvell 
has  constantly  resided  in  Minnes«)ta,  and  he  is  one  of  our  best 
citizens.  He  was  the  first  n'aldaguerreian  artist  that  settled 
iu  this  neij^hborhood 

Considerable  sickness  2)revailed  amonj^  the  children  during 
the  moJith  of  September.  Several  fatal  cases  occurred,  among 
them  Charles  Frederic,  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  Orth,  who 
died  September  17th  ;  and  Lillie,  a  daughter  of  Lardner  and 
Eliza  13ostwic\,  who  died  Sept«'ml)er  2()th. 

A  I'hange  in  the  pastor  of  the  Methodist  church  took  i)lace 
on  the  2;")th.  llev.  C.  A.  Newcomb  was  transferred  ^  Adams, 
Wisconsin,  and  llev.  Mr.  Jones,  from  southern  ^^'lscon8in, 
was  npiHiinted  in  his  place. 

Governor  Ramsey  appointed  Isaac  BroWi  collector  ad 
assessor  of  Heimepin  county.  This  was  the  first  a()[)oiut- 
ment  oi  uuj  office  whatever  in  tlio  county.  His  LOiunussiou 
W.18  dated  Augiist  '27th,  1852.  A  month  later  it  ^vould  not 
have  been  necessary  for  tho  appointment  to  have  been  made, 
as  congress,  in  the  meantime,  passed  the  law  reUucing  the 
reservatioji  of  Fort  Snelling. 

The  organic  act  passed  by  the  legislature  establishing 
Hennepin  county  contained  the  important  proviso  that  \i\Hni 
the  reducticm  of  tho  reserve  by  congress  the  citizens  of  the 
county  should,  at  the  next  annual  election  after  the  passage 
of  such  law,  hold  an  election  for  all  the  county  officers,  and 
immediately  after  the  election  and  qualification  of  such 
officers,  they  should,  in  duo  form  of  law,  proceed  to  organize 
the  county — which  was  faithfully  complied  with. 


CHAPTER  XXVn. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  A  CLAIM   ASSOCIATION. 


Unfortunately  the  law  passed  by  congress  reducing  the 
Fort  Snelling  reservation  contained  no  provision  for  the 
relief  of  settlers  on  the  land,  thus  causing  us  great  anxiety  in 
regard  to  the  future  titles  to  our  homes.  A  claim  association 
was  instantly  organized.  Stringent  rules  were  adopted  against 
claim-jumpers,  and  others  who  might  wish  to  interfere  with 
our  claims.  The  severe  measures  taken  by  the  association 
were  of  such  a  character  that  no  one  would  be  sure  of  his  life 
who  should  attempt  to  jump  a  claim.  When  there  was  a 
claim  in  dispute  in  regard  to  the  ownership,  the  board  of 
arbitration  appointed  by  the  association  would  hear  all  the 
BT'^dence  in  relation  to  the  matter,  and  decide  the  dispute 
according  to  the  facts.  The  decision  was  final,  and  the  suc- 
cessful claimant  had  the  powerful  protection  of  every  member 
of  the  association,  which,  as  it  afterwards  proved,  was  suffi- 
cient for  the  entry  of  his  land.  In  all  instances  the  first  one 
who  made  a  claim  to  a  quarter  section  of  laud,  with  suitable 
improvements,  was  recognized  by  the  association  as  the  proper 
owner  of  it.  A  book  was  oi)ened  by  the  association,  and  we 
were  all  obliged  to  enter  in  it  the  number  of  acres  we  claimed, 
as  well  (S  the  date  of  the  settlement,  and  the  value  of  our 
betterments,  and  the  number  of  acres  cultivated.  The  officers 
of  the  association  were  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  president ;  '^liarles 
Hoag,  secretary  ;  Edwia  Hedderly,  treasurer  ;  executive  com- 
mittee, Colonel  E.  Case,  Calvin  A.  Tuttle,  William  Dickie, 
Philander  Prescott,  and  Edward  Murphy  ;  board  of  arbitra- 
tion, Major  Nathaniel  McLean,  U.  8.  Indian  agent,  Anson 


OF    MIXXKSOTA   AND    ITS    I'EOPLE. 


181 


Northrup,  aiul  John  Eoidhead.  Sessions  were  held  every 
Saturday,  at  the  residence  of  John  H.  Stevens,  Only  in  one 
instance  was  the  association  called  upon  to  resort  to  severe 
measures.  In  that  instance  a  cat-o' -nine-tails  well  laid  on  the 
bare  back  of  the  trespasser  on  a  claim  down  toward  Minnehaha, 
had  the  desired  effect.  No  one  else  attemped  to  interfere 
with  or  jiimp  a  claim.  The  offender  in  this  instance  immedi- 
ately left  the  territoiy  and  has  never  been  heard  from  since. 
It  is  true,  however,  that  n  good  many  compromises  were 
made,  and  in  some  instances  persons  who  had  disputed  claims 
were  obliged  to  pay  considerable  sums  of  money  to  opposing 
parties  in  order  to  get  peaceful  possession  of  them. 

The  distinguished  Syrian  philanthropist,  Gregory  M. 
Wt)rtabet,  deli^vred  several  lectures  in  St.  Anthony  during 
the  early  fall.  He  was  a  native  of  Beyroot.  His  lectures 
attracted  a  good  deal  of  attention. 

Sandford  I.  Huse,  of  the  firm  of  Farnham  and  Huse,  and  a 
son  of  Sherburne  and  Elvira  Huse;  died  of  consumption  in 
Detroit,  Michigan,  aged  twenty-five  years.  He  was  on  his 
way  home  from  an  extended  journey  taken  for  the  benefit  of 
his  health.       'a^*^ 

On  the  29th  the  news  of  the  death  of  Daniel  Webster  was 
receiveil  at  St.  Anthony. 

L.  M.  Fo- ,  t,  who  afterwards  became  so  extensively  known 
throughout  the  country  as  a  florist,  pomologist,  and  horticul- 
turist, at  Groveland,  was  engaged  to  teach  a  singing-school  in 
the  village  for  the  ensxiing  autumn. 

In  the  appointment  of  officers  for  the  new  United  States 
land-office  at  Sauk  Rapids,  the  Pi'esident  selected  Charles  W. 
Christmas  for  register.  Aside  from  tliat  of  postmaster,  this 
was  the  first  Federal  appointment  bestowed  upon  a  citizen  of 
St.  Anthony. 

Lewis  Stone's  farm-house  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  first 
of  November. 

The  handsome  Baptist  church  edifice  was  completed  early 
in  November.  Upon  its  completion  the  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  met  and  decided  that  they,  tcxi, 
would  immediately  erect  a  church  building,  jv  determination 
they  strictly  adhered  to  and  in  good  time  accomplished. 

The  members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  as  well  as  all  classes 


1-^ 


182 


PERSONAL    ItF.COLLECTIONS 


of  citizens,  were  greatly  pleased  with  the  advent  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Chamberlain  to  preside  over   the  destinies  of   that   cluirch. 

That  popular  jiastor,  Rev.  C.  G.  Ames,  of  the  Free  Baptist 
church  and  his  conj^-egation  occupied  the  school  building  for 
a  meeting-house.x  QjCi 

In  October  the  Catholic  church  edifice  was  finished.  The 
lots  on  which  it  was  built  were  given  to  the  cluirch  by  Pierre 
Bottineau.  That  denomination  of  Christians  had  not  only 
the  occasional  wise  teaching  of  Re\-.  A.  Ravoux,  but  other 
excellent  members  of  the  i)riesthood. 

Early  in  November  there  were  no  less  than  three  singing- 
schools  under  way,  all  well  patronized.  One  was  taught  by 
B.  E.  Messer,  afterwards  sheriff  of  Hennepin  county. 

With  the  preparatory  department  of  the  University  and 
two  common  schools  and  a  lyceum,  and  lectures  under  the 
auspices  of  the  library  association,  the  prospects  were  favor- 
able for  a  winter  of  profitable  enjoyment.  Tallmadge  Elwell 
on  November  27th  delivered  the  first  lecture  of  the  season. 
His  siibject  was  Man  of  the  Nineteenth  century. 

J.  H.  Stevens  and  Co.  sold  out  their  store  to  N.  D.  Shaw 
and  Co.  On  November  12th  the  first  heavy  fall  of  snow 
came.  From  that  day  to  March  there  was  good  sleighing  in 
the  vicinity  of  St.  Anthony. 

There  was  considerable  sickness  in  the  village  during  the 
late  fall  and  early  winter.     Tyjjhoid  and  other  fevers  prevailed. 

On  the  3d  of  November  Albert  H.  Dorr,  one  of  the  most 
active  and  respected  young  business  men  of  the  village,  died. 
On  the  4th  Mrs,  Cordelia,  wife  of  Hon.  J.  L.  Wilson,  died. 
On  the  8th  Mrs.  Maria  H.,  wife  of  the  merchant  Rufus  P, 
Upton,  died,  aged  twenty-two  years,  A  little  later  Mrs, 
Abbey,  wife  of  Andrew  Foster,  died.  There  was  considera- 
ble speculation  in  regard  to  what  caused  the  dreaded  typhoid 
fever.  Some  attributed  it  to  stagnant  water  in  the  mill-pond  ; 
others  thought  it  was  the  swampy  lands  immediately  in  the 
rear  of  the  village.  The  physicians  expressed  no  opinion  as 
to  its  cause.  The  fever  has  never  appeared  on  the  east 
l)ank  of  the  Falls  in  an  epidemic  form  since. 

I  find  it  quite  impossible  to  give  a  correct  list  of  the  names 
of  those  who  settled  in  St,  Anthony  during  the  year  1852. 
There  were  several  honored  new  settlers  of  the  village  and  its 


i! 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


183 


immediate  vicinity  during  that  year.  All  made  good  citizens 
and  were  most  cordially  welcomed  by  those  who  had  preceded 
them.  At  the  close  of  the  year  the  citizens  had  reason  to  be 
thankful  for  the  great  prosperity  that  had  attended  them. 

THE  FOKT   SNELLING  MILITAUY  llESEltVATION  REDUCED. 

The  news  of  the  passage  of  the  bill  by  congress  reducing 
the  military  reservation  of  Fort  Suelling,  was  received  by  the 
proper  authorities  of  Kamsey  county  ( to  which  county  Hen- 
nepin had  been  attached  for  judicial  and  other  purposes )  in 
time  to  give  the  proper  notice  to  participate  in  the  approach- 
ing annual  election  which  was  to  take  place  on  the  11th  of 
/  ij  VOctober.  The  board  of  county  commissioners  of  Ramsey 
i  ^  county  directed  us  to  elect  a  full  set  of  county  officers,  and 
designated  the  whole  county  of  Hennepin  as  one  election 
precinct,  M'ith  the  polling-place  at  my  house. 

FIllHT  AND  ONLY  UNANIMOUS  ELECTION    IN    HENNEPIN    COUNTY. 

The  citizens  met  the  Saturday  previous  to  the  election  and 
unanimously  nominated  the  following  ticket :  For  Representa- 
tives, Benjamin  H.  Randall,  of  Fort  Snelling,  and  Dr.  A.  E. 
Ames,  of  All  Saints  ;  County  Commissioners,  John  Jackins, 
and  Alex  Moore,  of  All  Saints,  and  Josej)]!  Dean,  of  Oak 
Grove,  now  Blooniington  ;  Sheriff,  Isaac  Brown  ;  Judge  of 
Probate,  Joel  B.  Bassett ;  Register  of  Deeds  and  Clerk  of  the 
board  of  county  commissioners,  John  H.  Stevens  ;  Coroner, 
David  Gorham  ;  Surveyor,  Clias.  W.  Christmas  ;  Assessors, 
Eli  Pettijohn,  Edwin  Hedderly,  and  AVilliam  Chambers  ; 
Treasurer,  Deacon  John  S.  Mann  ;  Justices  of  the  Peace,  Eli 
Pettijohn,  of  Fort  Snelling,  and  Edwin  Hedderly  of  All 
Saints  ;  Constables,  E.  Stanley,  and  C.  C.  Jenks  ;  Supei-visor 
of  Roads,  George  Parks. 

The  election  came  off  in  pursuance  of  law  ;  the  parties 
named  above  received  every  vote  that  was  cast ;  each  had 
seventy-one  votes.  The  election  returns  were  sent  to  St 
Paul,  and  were  canvassed  by  the  board  oi  commissit)ners  of 
Ramsey  county.  That  body  directed  M.  S.  Wilkinson,  then 
their  clerk,  to  issue  to  each  of  the  newly -elected  officers  of  the 
new  county  certificates  of  their  election,  with  directions  to 
Messrs.  Jackins,  Moo.'e,  and  Dean,  and  Stevens,  to  meet  on 
ihe  21st  of  the  same  month  to  (\ualify,  and  to  comi)lete  the 
organization  of    the  county  in  due  form  according  to   law. 


I 


■,'»i 


184 


PEUSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


All  the  persons  elected  met  at  my  house  on  that  day  and 
took  the  oath  of  office,  gave  bonds,  and  assumed  the  several 
duties  they  had  been  called  upon  to  perform. 

SELECTION  OF   THE  COUNTY  SEAT  OF  HENNEPIN  COUNTY. 

The  first  business  transacted  by  the  board  of  county  com- 
missioners, after  the  filing  and  approval  of  the  bonds  of  the 
newly-elected  officers,  was  the  selection  of  the  county-seat  of 
the  new  county.  Commissioner  Jackins  moved  that  the  county 
seat  of  Hennepin  county  be  established  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  This  motion  was  carried  unani- 
mously. 

THE  COMMISSIONERS  SELECT  A  NAME  FOR  THE  NEW  COUNTY  SEAT. 

Then  the  question  came  up  as  to  what  name  should  be 
given  to  the  place  selected  for  the  county -seat.  Commissioner 
Moore  thought  that  Albion  would  be  a  proper  name.  Another 
commissioner  said  that,  in  view  of  the  extensi\'e  water-power 
the  name  of  Lowell  would  be  suggestive,  as  the  power,  when 
imp^o\ed,  would  make  this  place  the  Lowell  of  the  west.  A 
vote  being  taken,  the  name  of  Albion  was  selected,  and  the 
clerk  was  directed  to  so  record  it.  He  was  further  instructed 
to  date  all  the  records  of  the  county  under  the  head  of  Albion, 
Hennepin  county,  Min^'esota.  After  the  transaction  of  other 
unimportant  business,  the  commissioners  adjourned. 

During  the  adjournment  considerable  feeling  was  exhibited 
by  the  residents  of  the  coiinty,  and  the  almost  unanimous 
sentiment  was  against  the  name  selected  by  the  commission- 
ers for  the  new  county-seat.  Meantime  all  the  necessary 
blanks  for  the  xmv  of  the  county  had  been  obtained  with  the 
name  of  Albion,  as  per  instriictions  of  the  commissioners 
printed  therein. 

Also  during  the  adjournment  of  the  commissioners,  Charles 
Hoag,  a  classical  scholar,  and  Geo.  D.  Bowman,  editor  of  the 
St.  Anthony  Express,  ware  determined  to  invent  a  new  name 
for  the  embryo  city.  On  the  5th  of  Noveml)er  an  article 
appeared  in  llie  Express,  written  by  Mr.  Hoag,  advocating 
the  blotting  oat  of  the  naiiie  of  Albion  (  as  the  commissioners 
had  that  of  All  Saints)  and  substituting  that  of  Minneliaj)oli8. 
This  was  the  first  time  that  the  name  of  the  future  city  ever 
appeared  in  print.     In  fact  Mr.  Hoag  had  only  invented  it  the 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


185 


'(■1 


previous  niglit  while  in  bed.  In  the  morning  he  hurried  over 
to  St.  Antlioiiy  and  seciired  its  publication  in  the  issue  of  the 
paper  of  that  date.  The  forms  of  the  Express  had  been 
locked  uj)  when  Mr.  Hoag  arrived  at  the  ofiice  with  his  com- 
munication, but  Mr.  Bowman  had  them  unlocked,  and  the 
article  was  put  in  type  and  inserted.  Mr.  Hoag  had  no  time 
to  consiilt  any  one,  except  Mr.  Bowman,  in  regard  to  the 
name  proposed,  previous  to  its  api)earance  in  the  paper  ;  but 
when  it  did  appear  most  every  one  was  in  favor  of  it.  1  G:  T  1^ 

In  the  next  issue  of  the  i)ai)er,  November  12th,  Mr.  JBow- 
man,  in  a  leading  editorird,  said  :  "  AVhen  i\w  (communication 
"proposing  this  name  (Minnehapolis)  for  the  i)romising  town 
"growing  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  was  last  week  handed 
"  us,  we  were  so  much  engaged  as  to  have  no  time  to  com- 
"ment  on  it.  The  name  is  an  excellent  one,  and  deserves 
"much  favor  by  our  citizens.  The  h  being  silent,  as  our 
"correspondent  recommends,  and  as  custom  would  soon 
"make  it,  it  is  practical  and  euphonious.  The  nice  adjust- 
'  ment  of  the  Indian  miinie  with  the  Greek  polls,  becomes  a 
"  beautiful  compound,  and  finally  it  is,  as  all  names  should  htt 
"  when  it  is  possible,  admii-ably  descrii)tive  of  the  locality. 
"By  all  means,  we  would  say,  adopt  this  l>eautiful  and 
"  exceedingly  appropriate  title,  and  do  not  longer  sutfer  abroad 
"from  connection  Avith  the  meaningless  and  outlandish  name 
"  of  All  Saints." 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  above  that  the  editor  tt)tally  ignored, 
as  most  every  one  else  did,  the  selection  of  the  name  by  the 
county  commissioners.  In  short,  from  the  ai)i)earance  of 
Mr.  Hoag's  article  of  November  5,  the  Anglo-Saxon  Albion 
was  doomed,  and  All  Saints  would  fall  with  it.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  Messrs.  Hoag  and  Bowman  had  won  the  victory. 
It  was  finally  settled  at  an  accidental  meeting  of  most  all  the 
citizens  at  my  house,  in  Dc^cember,  1852.  It  was  decided  t«t 
withdraw  the  silent  h,  and  call  the  place  Minneapolis.  It  is 
derived  from  minne,  a  portion  of  the  Dakota  name  of  the  falls, 
and  polls,  the  Greek  for  city,  and  was  allowed  by  all  the  old 
settlers  to  be  a  beautiful  combination  of  the  Dakota  and 
classic  Greek.  This  settled  forever  one  of  the  most  trouble- 
some matters  the  original  settlers  in  this  neighborhood  had  to 
contend  with.     It  was  about  the  only  thing  they  could  not 


w 

-  If 
rift. 


186 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


nt  first  unite  on.  For  some  time  they  agreed  to  disagree  on 
any  name.  It  was  lia|)i)i]y  settled  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of 
all;  though  when  the  eommisHicmei's  found  the  sentiment  was 
against  Albion,  they  endorsed  the  name  of  Winona,  but  that 
did  not  strik«^  the  fancy  of  the  i)eo])le  ;  hence  in  common 
with  every  one  else  they  accepted  the  inevitable,  and  fell  in 
line  with  the  others. 

SETTLEMENTS  IN  THE   COUNJ'Y. 

During  the  year  1852,  Joseph  Dean,  S.  A.  Goodrich,  O. 
Ames,  A.  L.  Goodrich,  H.  and  M.  S.  AVhalon,  E.  Ames,  Wm. 
Chambers,  and  Reuben  ]3.  Gibson,  took  np  and  occuj)ied 
claims  in  what  is  now  Bloomington.  Eev.  G.  H.  Pond,  Hon. 
Martin  McLeod,  Peter  Quinn,  Moses  Starr  Titus,  and  Victor 
Chatel,  all  C(mnected  with  the  Indian  de])artment,  had  resided 
there  for  years.  They  called  the  place  the  Oak  Grove 
Mission. 

The  old  upper  prairie,  now  known  as  Eden  prairie,  this 
year  received  its  first  settlers  in  the  persons  of  John  and 
Samuel  Mitchell,  their  families,  and  their  father  and  mother, 
Hiram  Abbott,  and  David  Livingston,  while  Messrs.  C.  C. 
Garvey,  Samuel  Stougli,  Mark  Baldwin,  William  Finch, 
Gilbert  Hanson,  J.  Y.  Draper,  and  ]Mvs.  Gordon,  selected 
claims  on  and  near  ]3rown's  creek,  iu)w  known  as  the  Minne- 
haha stream,  which  is  in  the  present  town  of  Eichfield. 

Simon  Stevens,  Horace  Webster,  ().  E.  Gan-ison,  A.  B. 
Robinson,  John  McGalpin,  George  and  licwis  Bourgeois, 
James  Shaver,  jr.,  and  James  Mountain,  took  up  and  occupied 
claims  in  the  lower  Minnetonka  district. 

The  Messrs.  Fuller  brothers,  and  Colonel  Thomas  H.  Hunt 
claimed  the  present  town-site  of  Chaska,  then  in  Hennepin 
but  now  in  Carver  county,  during  the  late  summer  of  this 
year.  Chaska  had  long  been  a  trading-post  belonging  to  the 
Fur  company,  under  the  direction  of  one  of  the  Faribault 
brothers.  It  had  also  been  the  seat  of  an  excellent  Catholic 
missi(m-school,  ixnder  Rev.  A.  Ravoux. 

In  the  spring  of  this  year,  Wasliingt(m  (retchell,  Winslow 
Getchell,  Amos  Berry,  and  Jacob  Longfellow,  mode  claims  on 
what  was  then  called  Getchell's  ])rairie,  which  is  now  included 
in  the  town  of  Brooklyn.  In  July  of  the  same  year,  Joseph 
Potvin,  Pierre  Bottineau,  Peter  Raiche,  and  Peter  Garvais, 


OF    MINM'SOTA    AND    IIS    J'KorLK. 


187 


!l 

made  claims  on  Bottineau  pniiinc,  which  is  ulso  inchKlcd  in 
tlie  same  town.  Ezim  HnnHi-oiu,  N.  S.  Grover,  and  John  W. 
Brown,  ma(U>  clninis  tho  sanio  yt'iu'  in  what  in  now  Bi'ooklyii. 

The  tirst  claim  made  in  wliat  is  now  Crystal  Lake  was 
dnrin'^  this  yeai'.  Tlic  claimants  wt'r(>  llcv.  John  Ware  Dow, 
N.  P.  Warren,  Josiidi  Diitton,  Wyman  McC'umber,  L.  Wag- 
oner, and  JohuCiarty.  This  was  the  largest  settlement  made 
in  one  locality  in  Hennepin  county,  during  the  year,  oiitside 
of  Minneapolis.  Rev.  \j.  Palmer  also  made  a  claim  in  the 
town,  -which  I  think  was  for  his  brother.  , 

Charles  Mih's  wns  the  only  one  who  ma(h'  a  claim  in  what 
is  now  Chami)lin,  in  1852,  while  Louis  P.  Garvais,  and  Wm. 
M.  Ewing,  were  the  oidy  ones  who  took  up  claims  in  what  is 
now  Maple  Grove,  the  same  year. 

Francis  Morrison,  one  of  the  most  enterprising  t)f  all  the 
old  settlers,  moved  with  his  family  from  Vermont,  late  in  the 
summer,  and  selected  and  occuineil  a  claim  abov"  Mr.  Christ- 
mas's  place,  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  He  still  resides  on  a 
j)ortion  of  it.  Cyrus  C  Jenks  this  year  occxxpied  the  claim  of 
J.  Draper.     Mr.  Jenks  resides  in  Grand  I\)rks  county,  Dakota. 

As  far  as  I  can  ascertain  t)r  remember  at  this  time,  the 
foregoing  are  the  names  of  all  the  men  who  settled  in  the 
county,  that  year,  outside  of  Minneapolis.  Many  of  these 
j)ersons  had  been  fornuM-  residents  of  8t.  Anth<my.  A  few 
were  from  Minneapolis.  They  went  out  into  the  wilderness 
to  secure  new  homes  and  open  tii)  farms.  Minneapolis i)roj)er 
received  but  very  few  new-comers  this  yeai'.  The  claims  had 
all  been  previously  occu])ied.  There  were  no  lots  laid  out 
for  any  one  to  buy  or  build  u])on,  and  there  was  no  business 
that  would  pay  to  folk)w  ;  hence  no  immigration  ;  but  the  sur- 
rounding country  in  the  near  vicinity  of  the  town  was  satis- 
factorily occupied  by  an  excellent  class  of  innnigrants. 

There  was  not  to  exceed,  at  the  close  of  the  year, 
twelve  dwelliiig-houses  upon  the  oi-iginal  town-site,  and  none 
(•(mveniently  near  each  other,  as  they  w(uv  built  (m  the  claims 
taken  by  the  owners,  and  could  not  be  very  close  neighbors, 
though  in  a  few  cases  the  parties  owning  the  claims  would 
build  near  the  bcmndaries  of  their  line,  instead  of  near  the 
center,  so  they  could  be  near  neighbors.  We  had  learned 
from  experience  that  we  coiild  not  expect  any  more  imi)rove- 


m 


't      :' 


V'' 


if® 


IW 


188 


PEUSONAI-  UEC0LLK(']'I()N8 


ments  in  onr  immcdinte  vicinity  until  tlio  title  to  onr  land, 
hail  been  soeured  fntm  the  goveninient,  luul  it  was  laid  out 
into  lots  ;  so  we  were  not  (lisa])i)oiiited  that  there  was  ii(.> 
increase  in  the  number  of  buildings,  and  only  a  very  limited 
nnnd)er  of  j)ersons  added  to  our  population,  until  the  8i)ring' 
of  1855,  when  we  entered  our  land,  and  received  a  good,  solid 
title  to  imr  homes,  at  tlu'  United  States  land-office  ;  but  in  the 
meantime,  while  we  remained  in  a  statiimary  condition,  the 
country  around  us  prospered  beyond  our  utmost  expectations. 
For  once  in  our  history  the  rural  districts  went  far  ahead  of 
the  villages  in  im})rovements,  which  was  perhaps  all  the  better 
for  lis  ;  because  when  we  were  in  a  condition  to  start  our 
town,  we  had  a  solid  f<mndation  to  build  upon,  and  had  a 
pi'osperous  country  to  back  us  ;  which  j)i-oves  that  it  is  desir- 
able to  have  tin;  country  go  ahead  of  th«^  village,  rather  than 
that  the  village  should  go  ahead  of  the  c(nintry. 

The  whole  taxable  property  in  the  county,  according  to  the 
returns  of  the  assessors,  was  $48,005.  The  commissioners 
laid  a  tax  levy  of  thirteen  mills  on  a  dollar,  which  would 
return  a  revenue  of  ijfoGG  87.  When  the  collector  (Sheriff 
Brown)  returned  the  tax-book,  in  February,  containing  the 
assessments,  he  turned  over  to  the  county  treasurer  ( Deacon 
Mann )  i^oGG  8G — all  but  one  cent  having  been  collected. 

The  tirst  petition  presented  to  the  board  of  county  com- 
missioners was  from  A.  E.  Ames  and  others  praying  for  the 
establishment  of  a  county-road  from  Little  Falls  creek  to 
Crystal  lake.  The  petition  was  granted,  and  ('olonel  E.  Case 
and  William  Dickie,  with  the  county  surveyt)r,  were  appointetl 
commissioners  to  locate  the  road.  The  second  petition  which 
was  presented  at  the  same  session,  November  29th,  was  from 
Cynis  C.  Jenks  and  others  ^)raying  for  the  organization  of  a 
school-district  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Falls.  The  petition 
was  granted,  and  the  whole  county  was  organized  into  school- 
district  number  one.  The  first  school  in  district  mimber  one 
was  opened  in  a  little  building  belonging  to  Anson  Northrup, 
which  was  near  the  corner  of  Third  avenue  south  and  Second 
street,  in  December.  The  teacher  was  Miss  Mary  E.  Miller. 
Some  twenty  pupils  were  in  constant  attendance  during  the 
winter.  The  school-trustees  were  Edward  Murphy,  A.  E. 
Ames  and  John  H.  Stevens.    Allen  Harmon,  clerk  of  district. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

FIRST  REAL  START   FOR  A   PROSPEROUS  RACE. 


During  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  fifty-three,  the  most 
h«ipeful  indicatioix  of  the  future  rapidly-increasing  i)ro8perity 
of  the  embryo  city,  new-born  town,  and  recently-chriHtened 
infant  Minneapolis,  was  the  nuptial  ceremonies  that  occurred 
<Iuring  that  year  of  romantic  courtship  and  wedded  bliss  ;  the 
like  of  which,  considering  the  small  number  of  inhabitants,  is 
a  marvel.  Many  who  came  here  were  in  the  prime  of  early, 
vigorous  manhood  ;  or  fresh,  beautiful  womanhood  ;  and  were 
unmarried.  They  were  in  a  new  country.  Their  surroundings 
were  novel,  and  long  life  seemed  l)efore  them.  It  was  a  land 
of  w<mder,  with  a  lovely  landscape  and  virgin  soil.  There  was 
<'xhilaration  in  the  air  that  caused  youthful  blood  to  course 
mor(?  rapidly,  bi'inging  strength  to  liml),  glow  to  cheek,  sparkle 
to  eye,  sprigLtliness  to  step,  natural  grace  to  every  movement, 
and  an  overflow  of  love  in  every  heart.  In  the  light  of  possi- 
bilities oj)eu  to  them,  each  was  a  hero,  or  heroine.  The 
invigorating  air,  blooming  prairies,  fresh  forests,  smiling  lakes 
and  laughing  waterfalls,  made  it  an  Eden  to  lovers,  where  the 
wild  roar  of  the  cataract  was  an  inspiring  accompaniment  to 
their  wooing.  Those  fair  united  couples  gave  an  early  boom 
to  our  prosperity  that  has  exceeded  their  wildest  imaginings. 
The  frosts  of  thirty-six  winters  liave  powdered  the  locks,  and 
care  for  loved  ones  has  wrinkled  the  brow,  of  each  Adam  and 
Eve  of  that  paradise  ;  but  duplicates  of  their  fresh  faces  and 
lithe  forms,  to  the  third  generation,  ornament  our  streets  ;  and 
descendants  are  now,  as  ancestors  were  then,  keeping  their 


NS 


190 


PEllSONAT,    ItECOLLErriONS 


loved  homo  at  St.  Autlumy  FallH  in  tin-  fnnit  muk  of  enlight- 
ened progresH. 

Mr.  Edgar  Folsom  and  MrH.  Mary  Htowoll  took  the  initiative 
for  a  lioneynioon,  followed  in  ([uick  siicceHsion  by  Shelton 
Hollistf-r  and  Annie  Lewis,  J.  C.  Lawrence  and  Hannah  Stim- 
son,  A^'illianl  D.  (larland  and  Sarah  E.  Dorr,  John  M.  Dnr- 
inan  and  Lonisa  M.  lieidliead,  Simon  B.  Bean  and  Margaret 
B.  Munson,  A.  K.  Hartwell  and  Maria  N.  Smith,  George  D. 
Bowman  and  Mins  J.  P.  Derby,  Z.  E.  B.  Nash  andOctaviaM. 
Mills,  W.  H.  Kean  and  Mrs.  Florentine^  Kean,  E.  L.  Hall  and 
Urania  Lawrence,  Edw'd  P.  Shaw  and  Sarah  ( '.  Torrey,  Rich- 
ard Lowell  and  Soj)hronia  M.  Smith,  Isaac  Gilpatrick  and 
Sarah  Sinclair,  Casjjer  Kopj)  and  Delena  Eiseiniackei",  An- 
drew J,  Foster  and  Mary  AV.  Averill,  liobert  J,  Irwin  and 
Jenisha  Ann  Beriy,  Amos  P.  Bean  and  Eveline  E.  Huse, 
J.  C.  Shipley  and  May  F.  Barrows,  L.  A.  Foster  and  Jane 
Richardson,  Geo,  E.  Hny  and  Mary  Ticknor,  1).  L.  Paine  and 
Sarah  Berry.  In  the  light  of  the  above  showing  for  the  young 
village,  can  we  wonder  at  the  extraordinary  increase  of  the 
poptilation  at  an  early  day  around  the  Falls  ?  It  is  certain 
we  can  date  back  to  that  period  the  commencement  of  otir 
prosperity. 

INDUSTllIAL,    SOCIAL    AND    POLITICAL   EVENTH   OF    1853. 

Charles  King,  a  former  merchant  of  New  York,  arrived 
from  that  city  with  his  family  and  invested  largely  in  real- 
estate,  purchasing  the  interest  of  Elmer  Tyler.  The  latter, 
after  accomi)lishing  a  good  work  in  lending  a  helping  hand  at 
an  early  day  in  developing  the  resources  of  St.  Anthony, 
returned  to  Chicago  and  died  in  that  city  several  years  since. 
His  name  will  always  be  remembered  in  the  history  of  the  old 
village  of  St.  Anthony  from  the  fact  that  he  purchased  and 
introduced  the  first  complete  newspaper  outfit  from  which  the 
Express  made  its  appearance.  Mr.  King  resided  several 
years  in  the  village.  He  then  disposed  of  his  property  and 
moved  to  Washington,  D.  C,  and  became  a  prominent  pension 
agent. 

The  fourth  territorial  legislature  met  in  St.  Paul,  January 
Sth.  Hon.  Martin  McLeod,  of  Hennepin  county,  was  elected 
president  of  the  council.  This  excellent  selection  gave  much 
satisfaction  to  the  people  of  the  new  county,  as  they  were 


1   ! 


OF    MIXXESOT.V   AND   ITS   I'EOrLE. 


191 


proud  v,t'  tlu'ir  taleutetl  membt'V.  To  Mr.  McLcotl,  who  wab 
clminnan  of  tlic  commitUt'  on  schools  in  the  council,  ut  the 
first  Ki'Ksion  of  the  territorial  leLcislature,  and  to  Ilev.  E.  D, 
Neill,  the  first  snjM-rintendent  of  coninion  schools  in  the  ter- 
rit(n*y,  the  children  of  the  early  settlers  are  {greatly  indebted 
for  the  efforts  that  were  made  in  their  I)ehalf  ;  and  the 
people  of  the  state  t«)-<l«y  are  under  deep  obligations  to  those 
early  and  able  adv(K"ates  of  the  connnon-school  system  t)f 
Minnesota.  If  for  no  other  services  rendered  tlu^  state,  for 
these  alone  they  should  ever  l)e  held  in  j^rateful  remembrance 
by  the  people  of  the  .state. 

Dr.  David  Day,  then  a  resident  of  Long  Prairie,  Todd 
county,  after  a  contest  of  two  weeks,  was  elected  sj)eaker  of 
the  House.  The  initiatory  steps  of  the  orf^aniza^ion  of  the 
house  W(>re  taken  in  Minueajwlis  the  day  before  tlu^  election 
of  Dr.  Day  to  the  six-akership.  Dr.  Day  was  n*  the  time  the 
resilient  physician  of  the  Indian  department  at  Long  Prairie, 
which  was  then  the  headquarters  of  the  Winnebagoes.  The 
members  of  the  legislature  at  that  session  from  St.  Anthony 
were  AVni.  H.  Larned  of  the  council ;  and  11.  P.  Russell  and 
G.  B.  Dutton  of  the  hou.se.  Hennejiin  county  was  repre- 
sented by  Martin  McLeotl  in  the  council,  and  A.  E.  Ames  and 
B.  H.  Randall  in  the  house.  With  such  excellent  delegations 
it  is  not  necessary  to  say  that  the  interests  of  the  i)eople  were 
in  safe  hands,  at  least  as  far  as  their  wants  in  necessary  leg- 
islation were  concerneiL 

For  some  unaccountable  reason,  out  of  the  fourteen  officers 
elected  in  both  houst^s,  such  as  secretary,  clerk  of  the  house, 
sergeant-at-arms,  door-keeper,  and  the  like,  none  were  bestowed 
on  the  residents  of  either  bank  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony. 

On  the  15th  of  January,  Miss  Eliza,  eldest  daughter  of  John 
P.  Miller,  died  at  the  residence  of  her  parents  in  what  is  now 
south  Minneajx)lis,  aged  fifteen  years.  She  was  a  young  lady 
of  much  promise. 

The  citizens  of  St  Anthony  were  much  pleased  with  the 
addition  to  their  numbers  of  S.  M.  Tracy,  who  subsequently 
for  many  years  was  one  of  the  most  active  citizens  of  that 
village. 

The  long  winter  months  passetl  without  excitement ;  the 
citizens  generally  on  each  side  of  the  river  pursued  their 


fr; 

4: 


u«i!- 


l}.' 

■  Hi'- 

hi 


tti' 


11)2 


rEKMtXAL    BECOLLECTIONH 


UHiml  oci'upntions.  GintA  reports  cnin*'  from  tlu'  pineries  in 
ri'^anl  to  the  fu\ttriil»k'  ccMiclition  of  tlie  lumber  openitiouH. 
Tlu'  Hchools  were  well  pationizetU  ai»l  tlie  numerous  lectures 
were  well  ntt<'n(l<'iL  The  CVntnil  Hull  recently  built  wns 
convenient  for  public  ^^sherings.  Meswrs.  E.  P.  Mills  ami 
Z.  E.  13.  Nash  (K'cuj»i«l  the  lower  part  of  the  buihlinjj;  for 
their  stores.  This  was  the  first  public  hall  erected  in  St. 
Anthony. 

The  first  district  court  hekl  in  Minnea|M)lis,  after  the  organ- 
ization of  Hennepin  tountT,  convened  M«)nday  morning,  April 
4th,  Judge  B.  IJ.  Mtn^ker.  presiding.  Th(>  county  commis- 
sioners secured  the  jmrlor  in  Ans«)n  Northrup's  hoxise  for  the 
main  court-room,  an<l  two  lied-r»x>ms  in  the  same  house,  for 
the  jury-rtK)ms.  There  were  in  attendance  on  that  memorable 
occasion,  Hon.  Henrj-  L.  1I«)«»,  U.  S.  district-attorney  ;  AVar- 
ren  Bristol,  county-atlomev  ;  Joew'ph  Warren  Furber,  U.  S. 
marsluil ;  Istuic  Brown,  sheriff ;  Joseph  H.  Canney,  deputy 
sheriff  ;  Sweet  W.  Case,  ••lerk  of  the  court ;  with  the  follow- 
ing grand-jury  : 

Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  foreman  ;  Joseph  Dean,  Eli  Pettijohn, 
Moses  Starr  Titus,  Edwin  Hedderly,  H.  Fletcher,  Wm.  ,. 
Jones,  John  JackiiiSs  John  H.  Wales,  Allen  Harmon,  J  u 
Bedue,  John  C.  Bohannan.  Lorenzo  B.  AVarren,  John  S. 
Mann,  AVatcrman  Stimson.  William  Hamilton,  A.  L.  Cum- 
mings,  Augustus  P.  Th<^*mpson,  and  R.  B.  Gibson. 

Pettit-jury  :  Geo.  X.  Wale*.  William  Dwinels,  David  H. 
Smith,  Elijah  Austin,  Norman  Jenkins,  Simeon  Odell,  John 
Smithyman,  J.  M.  Snow.  John  P.  Miller,  Charles  Hoag,  Solo- 
mon K.  Shultz,  John  Wassv.  Hiram  Prescott,  Hiram  Burliug- 
ham,  Francis  Knott,  Joseph  C  Hutehins,  Willis  G.  Moffett, 
John  Gairty,  AVm.  G.  Tuttle,  Calvin  Church,  James  Brown, 
Silas  Pease,  John  Mitchell,  Allen  L.  Goodrich,  Edward 
Stanley,  David  Bickford.  WiDiam  Chambers,  AYilliam  Jones, 
James  Mountain,  Charles  Moseau,  and  AVm.  'SY.  Getehell. 

The  court  was  in  w-ssion  for  one  week,  awaiting  the  action 
of  the  grand  jury,  who  were  mostly  engaged  in  ferreting  out 
many  sui^posed  violations  of  the  li'juor-license  law.  There 
were  no  civil  cases  of  moment  trietl  before  the  court,  and  only 
three  criminal  matters  ;  one  an  indictment  the  grand-jury 
brought  against  Hiram  Armstrong  for  wilfidly  and  maliciously 


OF   MINNI.SOTA    AND   ITH   TEorLK. 


I9B 


injuriiiLj  tlif  iMTHoiml  property  of  ii  iu'ij;;lilu)i'  ;  iiiul  two 
iiidictmcntH  a^aiiiHt  Edinund  IJrrscttc,  oii»>  for  st'lliiifjf  whisky 
to  the  Indians,  and  tlu>  otlu'r  for  intnxlucin^  whisky  into  tho 
Indiiiii  coniitry.  Tsaa*-  Alwatcr,  wlio  wns  tlic  lawyer  for  both 
tlie  alh';i;ed  criminals,  clean'd  them  on  trial  before  the  court. 
These  were  the  tirst  indictments  ever  fonnd  by  the  ^rand  jnry 
in  H«>nne{)in  connty  ;  and  so  far  as  civil  cases  were  concerned 
ii  was  too  early  for  litigation.  Th«'  citizens  of  the  connty  had 
not  snfficient  bnsiness  relations  with  each  other,  pri'vions  to 
holding  the  conrt,  for  the  incnbation  of  dispntes  ;  and  besides, 
th(>y  were  not  ^tMierally  disposed  to  lawsuits.  In  the  absence 
of  courts  they  had  followed  thei  precejjts  t)f  those  who  had 
preceded  them  into  the  t(>rritory  ;  and  if  credit  had  been 
obtained,  it  was  considered  a  debt  of  honor.  As  a  j^en«'ral 
rule,  the  first  settlers  of  the  new  county  wt're  not  abundantly 
su[)plied  with  this  world's  ^oods,  and  they  felt  to»)  poor  to 
resort  to  lawsuits,  even  if  a  sufficient  cause  existed  for  such  n 
course.  In  those  early  days  j)eople  could  not  alford  to  be 
dishonest  with  each  other  in  their  deal inii^s.  If  a  i)er.son  ]mr- 
])ose]y  coniniitted  a  mean  act  in  his  relations  with  his  neighbor, 
public  opinion  and  public  scorn  were  so  stronj^ly  ('xpn^ssed 
njj^ainst  him  that  the  punishment  administered  in  this  niann«?r 
was  worse  than  if  he  had  lieen  tried  and  convicted  in  a  court 
and  in  I  prisoned. 

The  lawyers  in  attendance  at  the  first  court  were  John  W. 
Norl.x,  Isarc  Atwatei",  D.  A.  Secondie,  E.  L.  Hall,  Abraham 
R.  Dodge,  Geo.  W.  Prescott,  Jas.  H.  Fridley,  and  A.  I).  Shaw, 
all  of  Ht.  Anthony.  Hennepin  county  had  at  that  time  only 
a  solitary  resident  lawyer,  Warren  Bristol,  who  rei)reseuted 
the  county  as  its  attorney. 

Immediately  on  the  adjouniment  of  court,  a  fearful  and 
unprecedented  snow-storm  raged  with  great  violence. 

On  the  lOtli  of  April  Orriu  W.  Rice,  then  a  merchant  in 
St.  Anthony,  was  appointed  postmaster  in  the  place  of  Ard 
Goflfrey.  Mr.  R7ce  was  a  brother  of  Hon.  H.  M.  an<l  E. 
Rice,  of  St.  Paul.  Tlis  wife  was  a  daughter  of  J.  H.  Brown, 
of  St.  Anthony.  Mr.  Rice  was  xinusxially  esteemed  by  the 
people  of  that  village.  His  death  in  early  life  from  that 
dread  disease,  consumption,  was  greatly  regretted  by  his 
numerous  acquaintances. 


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TEUHONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


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Immigration  was  very  heavy  this  spiiug.  The  recently 
ceded  Indian  land  in  Hennepin  county  received  its  full  share. 
As  usual,  the  class  of  immigrants  were  of  a  very  superior 
order. 

A  singular  accident  occurred  at  Captain  Trpper's  ferry  on 
April  20th.  Joseph  N.  Barber,  one  of  the  new  settlers  in 
Minneapolis,  had  purchased  a  choice  yoke  of  oxen.  In 
crossing  the  ferry  they  backed  out  of  the  boat  and  were 
carried  over  the  precipice.  No  part  or  parcel  of  the  oxen 
were  ever  found.  A  log  chain  was  fastened  in  the  staple  of 
the  yoke  on  the  oxen.  It  is  supposed  the  hook  of  the  chain 
became  attached  to  a  rock  down  in  the  deep  water,  at  the 
immediate  foot  of  the  pi'ecipice,  and  held  the  jjoor  brutes 
some  forty  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  water.  In  most 
instances,  when  animals  were  carried  over  the  Falls,  their 
bodies  woiild  be  seen  immediately  after  the  occurrence  in  the 
rapids  towards  Spirit  island. 

A  MAN  GOES  OVER  THE  FALLS. 

So  far  as  known  only  one  man  was  ever  carried  over  the 
Falls  who  came  out  alive.  In  this  instance  not  a  hair  of  his 
head  was  injured.  Even  a  bottle  of  whisky  he  had  in  his 
pocket  at  the  time  was  not  broken.  The  name  of  the  man 
was  Michael  Hickey.  He  was  engaged  in  working  for  Anson 
Northrup,  on  Boom  island.  Hickey  used  to  cross  Captain 
Tapper's  ferry  every  morning  on  his  way  to  Boom 
island,  and  recross  every  evening  on  his  way  to  Mr.  Northrup's 
residence.  He  was  occasionally  given  to  his  cups,  and  would 
once  in  n  while  punish  a  glass  of  whisky,  perhai)s  half  a 
dozen  of  them  with  great  rapidity.  One  Saturday  evening, 
while  on  his  way  home,  in  passing  a  saloon  in  St.  Anthony, 
he  suddenly  became  imbued  with  the  idea  of  securing  a  bottle 
of  whisky  to  take  to  his  home  in  Minneaix)lii^  for  Sunday  use. 
The  more  he  considered  the  matter  the  more  determined 
he  became  to  do  so.  He  visited  the  saloon  for  the  purpose  of 
ratifying  his  conclusions.  The  whisky  was  j)urchased,  paid 
for,  and  deposited  in  his  i)ocket.  The  saloon-keeper  treated 
Mike  for  calling  on  him.  Then  Mike  treated  the  saloon- 
keeper and  drank,  himself,  on  the  occasion.  Othex's  came  in 
just  at  that  time.  Mike  treated  them  and  they  treated  Mike. 
By  midnight  Mike  was  full  and  en   route  for  his  home  over 


OF  MINNESOTA  ^.ND   ITS  PEOPLE 


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the  river.  On  arriving  at  the  feriy,  he  found  that  Captain 
Tapper  had  retired  for  the  night.  He  knew  of  no  reason 
why  he  should  not  take  one  of  tlie  captain's  small  boats  and 
ferry  himself  over  the  river.  He  launched  the  boat,  but 
instead  of  making  tlie  west-side  landing,  he  was  carried  over 
the  Falls.  Early  next  niornhig  a  band  of  Winnebago  Indians 
in  making  the  portage  of  the  Falls,  discovered  a  white  man, 
or  his  ghost,  on  Spii'it  island.  They  'nimediately  informed 
Mr.  Northrup  and  myself  of  their  discovery,  i'aptain  Tapper 
had  just  informed  me  that  some  one  had  stolen  one  of  his 
boats  during  the  night.  '»v  e  sent  for  the  captain,  and  all  three 
proceeded  down  to  the  Falls.  There  stood  Mike  on  the  bank 
of  Spirit  island,  a\  ithout  a  blemita.  Sending  for  ropes,  we 
safely  landed  one  on  the  island.  Mike  made  it  fnst  to  himself, 
and  we  hauled  him  safely  ashore.  .  \fter  he  was  landed,  he 
thought  of  his  bottle  of  whisky,  which  was  in  his  pocket. 
He  had  not,  during  his  iniprisonment  on  the  island,  remem- 
bered that  such  a  luxury  wa%  on  his  person.  Taking  the 
bottle  from  his  pocket,  and  drawing  the  cork  for  the  first 
time,  he  said  :  "Wasn't  it  lucky  the  cratur  (meaning  the 
whisky )  recaived  no  harm  in  mak.ng  the  bloody  trip  !"  evi- 
dently thinking  that  his  escape  from  injury  was  second  in 
consideration  to  that  of  the  whisky.  Poor  Mike  !  He  was 
an  honest,  faithful  servant.  He  has  been  dead  for  more  than 
a  score  of  years. 

On  the  6th  of  May  Mr.  Richard  Rogers  completed  his  mill 
for  grinding  wheat  It  was  small,  but  perfect.  Mr.  Rogers, 
being  a  millwright,  superintended  the  building  of  it  in  person. 
Tliis  v  as  the*  first  flour  mill  ei-ected  at  the  Falls,  if  we  except 
flic  old  goveniinent  mill  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  Froju 
this  small  eti'od  of  ]\[r.  Rogers  in  1853,  what  a  vast  expan.sion 
in  the  flour  industry  around  the  Falls!  From  that  small 
beginning  the  n)illing  interest  of  the  Falls  to-day  excels  tliat 
of  any  portion  of  the  known  globe. 

Another  dreailful  wnowstoi-m  visited  us  on  the  18th  of  May, 
fortunately  without  serious  injury  to  the  growing  crops. 

The  spring  ol;  this  year  was  a  very  paradise  to  those  who 
had  money  to  loan.  Real-estate  doubled  in  value  so  rapidly 
that  the  interest  of  money  ruled  high.  For  instance,  the 
Express  of  May  20th  says  :  "  Money  is  growing  scarce.     It 


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196 


TEKSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


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cHii  be  obtained  on  undoubted  renl-estnte  security  at  five  per 
cent  per  month.  Good  pai)er  endorsed  with  responsible 
names  at  sixty  and  ninety  days,  discounts  at  ten  per  cent  per 
mcmtli."  It  was  claimed  that  money  coiild  be  made  by  pay- 
ing such  excessive  rates  of  interest ;  but  never  having  had 
any  i)ersonal  experience  in  borrowing  or  loaning  money  in 
those  days,  I  cannot  speak  definitely  in  regard  to  the  results, 
further  than  that  those  who  loaned  the  money  ^dmost  invari- 
ably at  the  proper  time  received  the  interest  and  i)i*incipal 
from  those  who  had  borrowed.  Even  if  a  loss  should  occa- 
sionally occiir,  the  money  loaned  had  received  such  high  rates 
of  interest  they  could  afford  to  lose. 

The  new  postmaster  had  hardly  warmed  his  seat  in  the 
office  before  the  all-absorbing  toi)ic  of  the  failure  of  the 
arrival  of  the  mails  <'ommenced  being  discussed.  On  the  18th 
of  May  a  public  meeting  convened  in  Central  hall,  with  Jona- 
than Estes  in  the  chair,  and  Dr.  C.  L,  Anderson,  secretary, 
for  the  purpose  of  devising  plans  to  secure  the  mails  .Tom  St. 
Paul  when  due.  Of  course  the  postmaster  was  not  to  blame 
for  the  failures.  He  entered  a  protest  to  the  department,  as 
his  predecessor  had  done,  at  the  failure  of  the  contrr^ctors  to 
supply  the  office  with  mail  matter.  On  an  investigation  it 
appeared  there  were  rival  stage  'companies  between  St.  Paul 
and  St.  Anthony,  and  the  one  that  hud  the  contract  to  carry 
the  mail  was  afraid,  if  they  stopped  at  the  St.  Paul  office  to 
get  it,  the  other  company  would  secure  the  passengers.  This 
game  was  shortly  effectually  blocked,  and  the  complaints  in 
relation  to  the  failure  of  the  mails  ceased,  and  with  few 
exceptions,  thereafter  so  long  as  St.  Anthony  had  a  postoffice, 
the  mails  were  delivered  promptly. 

The  new  crop  of  logs  commenced  coming  into  the  St. 
Anthony  mill-boom  as  early  as  the  18th  of  May,  which  was 
several  days  ahead  of  the  usual  time.  There  was  a  good 
stage  of  water  in  both  brant  les  of  Rum  river,  as  well  as  in 
the  Mississipi)i,  for  dri^^ng  logs  tliia  season,  and  rapid  work 
was  made  in  landing  them  in  the  boom.  "What  is  unusual,  a 
clean  drive  was  made. 

The  Express  of  May  27th  pnnounced  the  arrival  of  a  full- 
blooded  Devon  bull  and  a  cow  of  the  csame  breed,  imixjrted 
from  the  east  into  Hennepin  countj;    These  animals  were 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


197 


the  property  of  liessrs.  J.  H.  SteveiiB  and  John  P.  Miller. 
They  paid  two  thousand  dollars  for  them.  This  was  the  first 
inxportation  of  pure  blooded  stock  into  Hennej)in  county. 
The  beneficial  results  expected  in  improvinjif  the  breed  of 
cattle  in  the  county,  in  this  instance  at  least,  failed  to  mate- 
rialize. From  that  day  I  have  never  believed  that  the  Devon 
was  a  good  breed  of  stock  to  propagate  in  Minnesota.  Such, 
however,  was  not  the  opinion  of  Hon.  Josojih  Haskell,  one  of 
the  pioneer  farmers  of  Washington  ccmnty.  He  imported 
choice  Devon  stock  previous  to  the  importation  into  Hennei)in 
county,  and  met  with  a  good  deal  of  encouragement  in  breed- 
ing them.  While  the  Devon  is  the  most  ancient  of  all  ptire- 
blooded  stock,  as  a  general  nde  there  are  other  breeds  that 
seem  to  do  better  in  this  climate. 

On  June  8d  S.  M.  Tracy  of  St.  Anthony  was  appointed 
judge  of  probate  of  Ramsey  county  in  place  of  Judge  Wm.  H. 
Welch  who  had  received  from  President  Pierce  the  important 
judicial  appointment  of  chief  justice  of  Minnesota.  Judge 
Welch  had  resided  in  St.  Anthony  for  over  a  year  at  the  time 
of  his  elevation  to  the  supreme  bench  of  the  territory.  He 
came  to  Minnesota  from  Michigan.  His  aj)])ointment  was 
received  with  much  satisfaction  by  his  fellow-citizens  in  St. 
Anthony.  He  was  an  able  jurist,  and  a  p\ire,  impartial  judge. 
He  was  the  father  of  Major  Abraham  E.  Welch,  one  of  the 
most  promising  young  officers  in  the  volunteer  service,  who 
commanded  the  Third  Minnesota  regiment  at  the  battle  of 
AVood  lake,  September  23,  1862,  in  which  engagement  he 
received  a  serious  wound.  Both  the  father  and  his  brave  son 
died  many  yeai's  8inc(>. 

President  Pierce,  soon  after  his  accession  to  the  Presidency, 
March  4:th,  made  the  following  Federal  appointments  for 
Minnesota  :  Governor,  Willis  A.  Gorman,  of  Indiana  ;  Secre- 
tary, J.  Travis  Rosser,  of  Virginia  ;  Chief  Justice,  Wm.  H. 
Welch,  of  St.  Anthony,  Minnesota ;  Associate  Justices,  Moses 
Sherburne,  of  Maine,  and  Andrew  J.  Chattield,  of  Wisconsin. 
In  the  assignment  of  the  diflPennt  judicial  districts  of  the 
territory  to  the  new  judges,  Hennepin  county  was  made  a 
part  of  the  Third  judicial  district,  and  Judge  Chatfield  was 
Belected  to  preside  over  it.  Judge  Chatfield  i)rov(Hl  to  be  a 
very  popular  judge.     For  many  sessions,  when  holding  court 


in 


198 


PEUSONAL    HEC0LLECTI0N8 


in  Minneapolis,  he  was  a  welcome  guest  in  my  house,  and  was 
considered  by  my  family  almost  as  oue  o"  their  most  favored 
members.  Chief  Justice  Welch  was  assigned  to  the  Fourth 
judicial  district,  which  necessitated  his  reuiovjil  with  his 
family  to  Red  AViiig.  Judge  Sherburne  was  assigned  to  the 
Second  judicial  district,  with  headquarters  at  St.  Paul.  He 
also  proved  to  be  an  able,  impartial  jxidge.  He  was  father-in- 
law  of  Hon.  Geo.  W.  Prescott,  oue  of  St.  Anthony's  most 
respected  citizens,  who  subsequently  became  editor-in-chief 
of  the  Northwestern  Democrat,  the  second  newspaper  that 
made  its  appearance  in  St.  Anthony,  July  13th,  1853.  Mr. 
Prescott  became  clerk  of  the  United  States  court  on  the 
admission  of  the  state  into  the  Union,  which  office  he  held 
for  many  years. 

To  Hon.  Wm.  W.  Wales,  one  of  the  most  cherished  of  St. 
Anthony's  earliest  citizens,  were  the  people  indebted  for  the 
introduction  of  early  vegetables  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Falls. 
As  early  as  1852  he  proved,  by  experimenting  in  his  garden, 
that  there  was  no  necessity  for  the  importation  by  the  steam- 
boats from  the  lower  country,  in  the  late  spring  and  early 
summer,  of  such  vegetables  as  asparagus,  lettuce,  radishes, 
and  other  varieties,  so  welcome  on  our  tables  after  the  long 
winter.  Mr.  Wales,  fiside  from  being  an  accomplished  horti- 
culturist, has  proved  by  his  long  and  useful  life  at  the  Falls, 
to  be  a  philanthropist,  and  a  Christian  gentleman,  who  com- 
mands the  entire  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens.  For  many 
years  he  was  postmaster  in  St.  Anthony.  He  was  also  one  of 
the  most  cherished  members  of  the  territorial  legislature, 
having  been  elected  to  the  council  in  1856.  He  is  always 
engaged  in  working  for  the  benefit  of  his  fellow-men. 

In  the  Express  of  June  17th  appeared  the  following  :  "  Im- 
"  portant  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony 
"  during  the  past  two  years.  An  immense  mass  «)f  rock, 
"  about  the  center,  was  bnvken  off  last  winter  and  fell,  making 
"  a  sort  of  rar>ids,  rather  than  actual  Falls,  in  that  part  of  the 
■'  cataract.  The  tlieory,  that  in  course  of  time  the  Falls  of 
"  St.  Anthony  will  so  wear  away  as  to  become  only  rapids, 
"seems  highly  probable  from  what  is  now  taking  place  from 
"  day  to  day."  It  was  supposed  at  the  time  mentioned  that 
the  large  number  of  logs  running  over  the  Falls  was  one 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  IT8  TEOrLE. 


199 


cause  of  the  breakinpj  off  of  the  rock.  They  would  jam  up 
on  the  precipice,  ahuost  dammiug  the  current,  and  when 
removed  by  the  pressure  of  high  water  a  portion  of  the  rock 
on  which  the  miUions  of  feet  of  logs  were  lodged  would  go 
with  them  ;  making  an  explosion  not  unlike  an  earthquake. 

Several  fearful  thunder-storms,  with  heavy  wind,  passed 
over  the  twin  villages  at  the  Falls  in  the  early  summer  of  this 
yeai\  On  the  14th  of  June  Rev.  Mr.  Chamberlain,  rector  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  was  struck  by  lightning,  in  his  house, 
which  came  near  terminating  fatally.  During  the  same  day 
the  dwelling-house  of  Geo.  W.  Prescott  was  badly  damaged 
by  the  electric  storm.  This  was  the  first  time  that  any  of  the 
citizens  of  St.  Anthony,  or  any  of  their  houses,  had  received 
serious  injury  from  the  storms  that  were  so  frequent  in  the 
territory  at  an  early  day. 

On  the  18th  of  May  the  colony,  under  the  auspices  of  Geo, 
M.  Bertram,  of  Grand  street.  New  York,  arrived  at  Excelsior, 
on  Lake  Minnetonka.  On  the  l-lth  of  June  the  members 
held  their  first  meeting  in  the  embryo  village,  with  their 
president,  Mr.  Bertram,  in  the  chair.  He  congratulated  the 
members  on  their  safe  arrival  at  their  new  home.  A  com- 
mittee consisting  of  Messrs.  Lemuel  Griffiths,  James  Phillips, 
C.  B.  McGrath,  H.  Birmingham,  S.  C.  Staples,  and  H.  Blake, 
was  appointed  on  resolutions.  In  making  their  re])()rt  the 
committee  referred  to  the  great  beauty  of  the  locition,  and 
the  extreme  fertility  of  the  soil,  expressing  a  lioj^e  that  in  the 
near  futiire  the  banks  of  Mimietonka  lake  would  be  settled 
by  an  industrious  people. 

A  rapid  journey  from  St.  Paul  to  Chicago  is  recorded  on 
the  6tli  of  July.  It  was  made  in  scant  three  days.  The 
editor  who  copied  the  item  recording  the  incident,  from  the 
Chicago  journal,  added  the  incredulous  words,  "That  will  do!" 
While  the  joiirney  is  now  made  with  ease  in  palace  sleeping 
cars  in  less  than  twelve  hours,  or  in  about  one-sixth  of  the 
extraordinary  tin)e  f'.-jn  recorded,  the  usual  time  from  St. 
Paul  to  Chicago,  i)i  those  days  by  river  to  Galena,  and  stage 
to  Chicago,  was  about  four  days,  though  frequently  the  jour- 
ney wtmld  be  extended  to  five  days.  During  the  portion  of 
the  year  when  there  was  no  navigation  on  the  river  it  of 
course  required  a  longer  time  to  make  the  journey. 


11 


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200 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


On  the  9tli  of  July,  Judge  A.  G.  Clintfield,  the  newly- 
appointed  judge,  held  a  special  term  of  court  in  the  little 
I)nrlor  of  my  house.  The  only  business  transacted  was  the 
discharge  of  two  soldiers  from  the  army  stationed  at  Fort 
Snelling.  They  enlisted  in  the  service  before  they  were  of 
suitable  age,  at  an  eastern  re .  ruiting-office.  They  belonged 
to  families  in  the  highest  walk  of  life,  and  joined  the  army 
under  peculiar  circumstances.  Their  names  were  H.  0. 
Billings  and  Wyman  Williams.  Their  parents  followed  them 
out  west  and  secured  their  discharge  through  the  agency  of 
the  United  States  court.  While  the  commanding  officer  at 
Fort  Snelling,  Colonel  Francis  Lee,  was  convinceil  that  Judge 
Chatfield's  decision  was  correct  according  to  law,  he  and  the 
other  officers  stationed  there  at  that  time  were  greatly  dis- 
turbed at  the  freqiient  discharge,  by  the  court,  of  soldiers  at 
the  Fort.  Heretofore  these  discharges  had  occurred  in  Ram- 
sey county.  These  were  the  first  that  took  place  in  Hennepin 
county,  and  it  was,  too,  the  first  occasion  of  Judge  Chatfield 
appearing  in  a  judicial  capacity  in  the  county. 

The  county  of  Hennepin,  during  the  second  week  in  July, 
through  the  agency  of  the  New  Yoi'k  Excelsior  colo±^y,  received 
several  permanent  settlers  of  great  merit.  Among  them  were 
Rev.  Mr.  Niitting,  and  his  brother  Gen,  Levi  Nutting,  now 
of  Faribault,  Rev.  H.  M.  Nichols,  Hon.  Arba  Cleveland,  Geo. 
M.  Powers,  H.  M.  Lyman,  and  Joshua  Moore,  all  from  Mas- 
sachusetts ;  and  Burritt  S.  and  AVm.  S.  Judd,  from  Ohio  ; 
and  Rev.  Chas.  Galpin,  and  his  brother  Rev.  Geo.  Galpin, 
natives  of  Coimecticut ;  and  Peter  M.  Gidt  jn,  who  has  since 
become  so  widely  known  as  a  pomologist,  and  several  other 
men  of  moment,  who  have  occui)ied  high  positions  in  the 
country's  history.  Mr.  Bertram,  the  leader  of  the  colony, 
was  a  native  of  Scotland,  but  for  many  years  previous  to  his 
coming  to  Minnesota,  had  been  an  enterprising  business  man 
in  New  York.  He  certainly  accomplished  a  good  work  for 
Minnesota  by  introducing  so  many  good  men  into  the  territory. 

The  Winnebagoes  were  particularly  restless  during  this 
early  summer.  They  could  not  be  confined  to  their  reserva- 
tion at  Long  Prairie.  From  their  long  association  with  the 
whites  in  the  lower  country  many  of  them  could  speak  Eng- 
lish.    They  would  complain  of  their  hard  lot  to  every  settler 


OF   MINNESOTA  AND  ITS   PEOPLE. 


201 


they  met.  In  some  instances  they  resorted  to  violence  in 
their  ill-will  to  the  whites.  On  June  l-ith  they  attempted  to 
kill  Mr.  Berry,  a  resident  up  the  river  a  few  miles  above  St. 
Anthony,  with  an  ax,  and  they  canio  pretty  near  carrying 
their  design  into  execution,  as  Mr.  Berry  was  only  rescued 
hy  the  timely  arrival  of  neighbors.  H(^  received  severe 
wounds  from  their  hands.  This  lawless  tribe  of  Indians, 
previous  to  the  unprovoked  attack  on  Mr.  Berry,  had  dis- 
charged a  gun  at  Mrs.  Leonard,  the  wife  of  Clias.  E.  Leonard, 
the  village  justice  of  the  peace,  in  north  St.  Anthony.  That 
excellent  lady  fortunately  escaped  injury,  but  the  Indians 
shot  a  choice  cow  belonging  to  Mr.  Leonard  when  they  found 
they  had  failed  in  the  attempt  to  kill  his  wife.  This  was  a 
most  unprovoked  attack  upon  the  life  of  Mrs.  Leonai'd,  as  the 
Indians  had  frequently  received  many  favors  from  her  hus- 
band who,  with  his  family,  wore  among  tlie  most  respected 
per.sons  in  the  territory  ;  Mr.  Leonard  having  frequently 
received  the  ixnaTiimous  suffrages  of  tlie  voters  for  different 
offices  in  their  gift,  m  hich  he  always  fiUed  to  their  entire  sat- 
isfaction. Similar  outrages  committed  by  this  tribe  of  Indians 
on  the  white  settlers  occurred  during  the  summer. 

The  commencement  for  the  building  of  the  first  bridge  that 
ever  spanned  the  Mississippi  was  heralded  in  the  several  news- 
papers of  the  territory  in  the  following  historical  announce- 
ment, dsited  St.  Anthony,  June  17tli,  1853  : 

"Notice  is  hereby  given,  that  books  will  be  opened  at  the 
"  office  of  Isaac  Atwater,  St.  Anthony  ;  and  at  St.  Paul,  at  the 
"  office  of  Rice,  Hollingshead  &  Becker,  on  the  third  M(>nday 
"of  July  next,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  subscriptions  to 
"the  cajutal  stock  of  the  Mississip[)i  river  ])ridge  coinpan^-, 
"  incorporated  March  4:th,  1852."  Signed  Isaac  Atwat(>r,  1).  E. 
Moulton,  John  H.  Stevens,  John  Rollins,  Calvin  A.  Tuttle, 
Incorporators.  The  first  day  that  the  books  were  opened, 
sufficient  subscriptions  were  made  to  the  capital  stock  to 
insure  the  success  of  the  enterprise,  and  from  that  date  to  its 
completion  the  work  was  prosecuted  with  vigor. 

While  we  could  not  expect  to  make  rapid  progress  in  build- 
ing in  Minneapolis,  situated  as  we  were,  not  being  able  to  sell 
lots,  or  even  to  give  a  warrantee  deed  if  we  should  sell  them, 
still  every  week  some  forward  steps  were  taken. 


I 


:i! 

,  I'm; 

ii 

,  t  -./ 

^i 

'li. 

ii 

■  j:f  ? 

-ii- 

'■*.'' 

!' 

^mm 


CHAPTEE  XXIX. 


HISTORY  OF  THE   FIRST   MINNEAPOLIS  BELL  TOLLED, 


The  first  bell  in  Minneapolis  was  the  generous  gift  of  east- 
ern friends  to  the  first  Presbyterian  church.  The  society 
held  meetings  in  the  public  hall  over  the  store,  near  the  ferry, 
a  block  or  two  distant  from  my  house.  Eev.  J.  C.  Whitney, 
the  pastor,  and  eldei-s  A.  E.  Ames,  D.  M.  Coolbaugh,  and  J.  N. 
Barber,  consented  to  have  the  bell  placed  on  a  tower  outside 
the  building.  The  few  of  us  on  this  side  of  the  great  river 
remember  well  the  first  tolling  of  that  pioneer  bell,  on  the 
west  bank  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  on  that  quiet  Sabbath 
morning,  late  in  the  summer,  announcing  the  hour  of  religious 
.services.  The  undulating  sound  of  that  bell  seems  io  come 
down  to  me  through  thirty-six  years  of  space,  mellowed  by 
time,  as  soft  and  sweet  and  pure  in  tone  as  the  cradle-song  of 
a  young  mother  to  her  first-born.  As  I  am  nearing  another 
ferry,  to  cross  another  river,  its  tender  throbbings  vibrate 
with  the  well-remembered  pulsations  of  the  familiar  church- 
going  bells  of  my  early  youth  in  a  far-away  eastern  home. 
From  that  day  church-bells  have  heralded,  above  the  roar  of 
the  cataract,  the  hours  of  public  worship  to  all  around  the 
Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  and  proclaimed  the  highest  type  of  civili- 
zation. That  primitive  bell  is  in  Minneapolis  to-day,  where 
there  is  a  population  now  nearly  a  thousand  times  greater 
than  then.  That  pastor,  too,  is  with  us,  deservedly  now  a  man 
of  material  wealth,  as  well  as  of  moral  worth  and  influence 
for  good  in  the  community.  He  continues  a  member  of  the 
same  church.  .  . 


OF   MINNEHOT.V   AND    US    I'EOl'Li:. 


203 


The  hnll  in  which  rolif,'iou.s  uu>etinfj;.s  were  held  wns  also 
used  for  Bossions  of  tho  Uuited  States  and  district  coiirts,  and 
for  public  gatheriiij^s  generally.  On  the  ground-floor  was  a 
room  suitable  for  a  store. 

Hennepin  Lodge,  U.  1).,  was  organized  and  worked  under 
the  first  dispensation  granted  by  the  grand  lodge  of  Minnesota. 
The  oflBeers  were  D.  M.  Coolbaugh,  nuister  ;  J.  N.  Barber, 
senior  warden  ;  E.  A.  Hodson,  junior  warden  ;  S.  AV.  Case, 
secretary  ;  E.  Case,  treasurer ;  Edward  Murphy,  senior 
deacon  ;  Anson  Northrup,  junior  deacon  ;  (Uiesman  Gould, 
tyler.  The  meetings  were  held  at  the  house  of  Ausou 
Northnip. 

Another  l)enevolent  sof'iety,  the  Odd  Fellows,  was  organized 
in  July,  with  diaries  Hoag  at  its  head. 

August  1st  we  had  a  flourishing  church  society,  a  district 
school,  a  county  court,  and  a  claim  association,  with  an  agri- 
cultural society  soon  to  be  organized. 

The  saw-  and  grist-mill  on  the  west  bank  at  the  Falls, 
erecttnl  by  Hon.  Robert  Smith  and  his  partners,  under  the 
Bxxperintendency  of  Calvin  A.  Tuttle,  were  finished  the  first 
week  in  August.  Both  mills  were  small,  but  answered  every 
purpose  for  tlu»  trade  of  that  day.  The  boom  privileges  for 
holding  logs  on  this  side  of  the  river  were  inefficient,  hence 
the  saw-mill  was  run  under  great  disadvantages  ;  but  we  were 
proud  of  the  little  mills. 

The  only  store  in  the  county  at  this  time  was  a  small  one 
just  started  at  Minn(>tonka  by  David  Paschal  Spafford.  Those 
of  MS  in  this  vicinity,  as  wed  as  the  settlers  up  the  river,  were 
obliged  to  patronize  either  the  stores  iii  St.  Anthony  or  the 
sutler's  stor(?  fit  Fort  Snelling. 

On  the  13th  of  August  Mr.  Northrup's  l)oarding-house  on 
Hennepin  island  was  burned.  It  was  occupied  by  his  nephew, 
Geo.  A.  Camp. 

On  August  20th  Governor  Gorman  apjwinted  Prof.  E.  W. 
Merrill,  principal  of  the  university,  Huperinteudeut  of  com- 
mon schools  of  the  territory. 

Georgiana,  the  first-bom  child  of  John  George  Lennon, 
died  at  the  family  residence  in  St.  Anthony.  There  were  in 
the  neighborhood  numerous  believers  that  the  village  was 
unhealthy  for  children. 


■:V' 


'  tii- 


SH'' 


204 


PEUHONAL    UKCOLLECTIONH 


The  truHteesof  thv  diHtrict-Hchool  in  Miiinenpolis  were  for- 
tunate in  weouring  the  Hervices  of  MiwH  Mary  A.  Scofield  hh 
teacher  for  the  Hiimmer  t^'rin.  Miss  Scotield  Imd  been  em- 
ployed, at  her  home,  near  lloehester,  New  York,  by  Governor 
Slade,  of  Vermont,  at  that  time  at  the  hi'ad  of  an  eastern  organ- 
ization for  the  purpose  of  8iipj)lying  the  west  with  teachers. 
She  first  taught  with  Miss  Bishoj)  in  St.  Paul,  as  early  as  1848. 
She  was  a  lady  of  rare  merit.  She  Ix'carae  the  wife  of  Prof. 
A.  S.  Kissell,  for  many  years  state  superintendent  of  schools  in 
Iowa.     Her  literary  attainments  were  of  a  very  high  order. 

T'vo  new  ferries  were  established  over  the  Mississippi  river, 
this  summer  ;  one  up  the  river  a  few  miles  above  Minneapolis, 
by  William  Dugas  ;  the  other  by  Edward  Murjjhy,  at  the  foot 
of  the  rapids,  the  seat  of  the  steamlwat-landing  on  what  is  now 
known  us  the  Bohemian  Flats. 

At  a  Whig  convention  held  in  St  Anthony,  September  1st, 
Dr.  J.  H.  Murphy  was  nominated  for  the  council,  Messrs. 
Reuben  Ball  and  Ohas.  F.  Steams  for  the  house  of  representa- 
tives, Ira  B.  Kingsley  for  justice,  and  R.  H.  Jefferson  for  con- 
stable. The  first  Whig  convention  ever  held  in  Hennepin 
county  was  convened  at  the  new  hall  in  Minneapolis,  Septem- 
ber 8th.  The  nominations  were  Isaac  Atwater  for  district- 
attorney,  Z.  M.  Brown  for  county  treasurer,  C.  W.  Christmas 
for  county  surveyor,  D.  M.  Coolbaugh,  S.  A.  Goodrich  and  S. 
K.  Shultz  for  assessors  ;  A.  N.  Hoy t  for  county  commissioner, 
and  C.  W.  Farrington  for  road  supervisor.  John  H.  Stevens, 
Joel  B.  Bassett,  A.  N.  Hoyt,  John  L.  Tenny  and  Washington 
Getchell  were  appointed  delegates  to  the  legislative  district 
convention  to  be  held  at  Shakopee.  Central  committees  were 
appointed  as  follows  :  Minnetonka  precinct,  Simon  Stevens, 
Horace  Webster  and  James  Mountain ;  Upper  precinct,  Jacob 
Longfellow,  Amos  Longfellow  and  Geo.  AV.  Getchell ;  Minne- 
apolis precinct,  A.  N.  Hoyt,  A.  L.  Cummings  and  C.  C.  Jenks  ; 
St.  Peters  precinct  (now  Bloomington ),  William  Chambers, 
Joseph  Dean  and  S.  A.  Goodrich. 

The  Democratic  convention  was  hold  in  St.  Anthony,  Sep- 
tember 12.  Chas.  F.  Stimpson  was  nominated  for  the  council, 
Daniel  Stanchfield  and  William  Dugas  for  the  house  of  rep- 
resentatives, W.  F.  Brawley  and  James  H.  Brown  for  justices 
of  the  peace  ;  and  J.  A.  West  and  John  Beam  for  constables. 


II  l!l 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND   ITH   PEOPLE. 


205 


The  second  regular  term  of  the  District  court  wns  convened 
on  the  5th  of  Septemlxjr,  Judge  Chatfield  prcHiiling.  The 
same  officers  attended  the  court  that  appeared  at  the  first 
tenn,  except  A.  F.  ANHiitney,  U.  S.  deputy  niarHlial,  and  Inaac 
Attv'ater,  district  attorney.  The  grand  jury  was  compoHed  of 
E.  Case,  foreman.  Washington  Getchell,  J.  N.  Barber,  George 
Parks,  Chas.  W.  Christmas,  H.  S.  Atwood,  L.  P.  Warren, 
William  Cham]>ers,  H.  Fletcher,  Simcm  Stevens,  John  C. 
Bohannau,  Norman  Jt'ukins,  li.  B.  Gil)Hon,  John  W.  Dorr, 
Joel  B.  Bassett,  Is^iac  V.  Draper,  Alex.  Moore,  Norman 
Abbott  and  Wm.  W.  Getchell. 

Petit  jury  :  Jesse  Richanlsou,  Edmond  Borden,  Wm.  G. 
Moifett,  H.  Burlingham,  D.  H.  Smith,  C.  W.  Farrington, 
Ezra  Foster,  Thos,  W.  Pierce,  Chas.  H.  Brown,  Jas.  Smithy- 
man,  Cyrus  Hutchins,  Robert  Blaisdell,  David  Bickford, 
Titus  Pettijohn,  Simeon  O'Dell,  Elijah  Austin,  Ezra  Hans- 
comb,  J.  P.  Miller,  Henry  Whalen,  John  Mitchell,  Wm.  H. 
Tuttle,  James  Brown  and  Or\'il  Ames. 

The  grand  jury  returned  several  indictments,  none  of 
w^hich,  except  one  against  Peter  Poncin,  for  rai)e,  were  of  a 
serious  character.  They  presented  Govenior  Gorman  and 
<.Teneral  Fletcher,  the  Winnebago  agent,  for  aiding  the  Win- 
nebagoes  in  leaving  their  reservation  and  committing  depre- 
ciations on  the  whites.  On  the  arrest  and  trial  of  the  persons 
indicted,  some  half-dozen  of  them,  mostly  for  violating  the 
litiuor  law,  all  were  cleared  by  the  petit  jury.  There  were 
no  civil  cases  on  the  calendar. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  residing  in  township  28  of 
range  24,  held  the  first  of  the  month,  it  was  unanimously 
voted  to  call  the  town  Richland,  and  it  has  been  known  as 
such  since,  and  will  probably  continue  to  bear  that  name. 

A  meeting  of  the  Democrats  of  this  legislative  district  was 
lield  at  Shakopee,  on  the  3d  of  September.  They  nominated 
Joseph  R.  Brown,  who  was  then  living  at  Mendota,  for  the 
council,  and  Dr.  H.  Fletcher,  of  I  Minneapolis,  and  Wm.  H. 
Nobles,  of  Scott  county,  for  the  house.  The  same  party  made 
the  following  nominations  for  Hennepin  county  :  For  county 
commissioner,  J.  A.  Dunsmore  ;  county  attorney,  D.  M. 
Hanson  ;  assessors,  B.  E.  Messer  and  T.  W.  Pierce  ;  consta- 
bles A.  Harmon  and  Titus  Pettijohn. 


20(5 


I'EltMUNAL    RECXHXECTIONS 


Tiie  new  M«tb<Hli«t  chorrh  was  tle<licattHl  on  the  4th.  It 
was  one  of  tht-  Hm-st  eharrh  edifice's  iu  the  territory.  Rev. 
M.  Sorin  C(»n<hi<'ted  the  services  on  the  oecusion. 

Since  the  noiuiiiHtions  by  theDeimxTiits  in  St.  Anthony  the 
nominees  of  th«'  Whig  convention  Ijeeamo  sntistied  that  ii  ifew 
deal  should  be  made  in  the  selection  of  tho  candidates  ;  con- 
se(iuently,  at  a  nu-etiuj^  hekl  before  the  election,  Dr.  Mnrjjhy 
withdrew  as  a  caudiilate  for  the  council,  and  moved  that 
Chas.  T.  Stearns  l>e  the  can<ltilate  in  his  stead.  The  motitm 
WHS  adopted.  The  camiidates  (or  the  house  also  withdrew, 
and  Henry  S,  Pluninif  r  yra^  selected  to  run.  It  was  decided 
to  make  no  nomination  for  the  second  candidate.  In  conse- 
quence of  tho  disaffection  in  the  Democratic  party  in  regard 
to  their  nominees,  it  w&s  decided  that  the  Whigs  would  sup- 
port for  that  office  the  nominee  of  the  disaffected  democrats. 
The  latter  selecteil  Cephatj  Gardner.     This  ticket  was  elected. 

During  the  summer  and  fiall  of  185^^  a  treaty  had  been  made 
with  the  Winnebago  Indians,  the  ratification  of  which  would 
have  seriously  injured  thi«  section  of  the  state.  That  natiim 
agreed  to  surrender  all  their  rights  in  the  L(mg  Prairie  coun- 
try for  the  territory-  herein  descrilieil :  Beginning  at  the 
mouth  of  Crow  river,  thence  running  up  the  Mississippi  to 
the  mouth  of  Clearwater  river,  thence  running  up  said  river 
to  its  source,  thence  on  a  line  running  due  _  west  until  it 
intersects  the  noi  '^  fork  of  Crow  river,  thence  to  the  place  of 
beginning.  A  rese.  "tion  was  made  for  the  right  of  A^ay  for 
the  Pacific  railroad,  ai»  *  seventy-two  sections  for  the  use 
of  the  Stockbridge  Indian^,  "-rovided  they  wished  to  locate 
near  the  mouth  of  Crow  river.  This  treaty,  as  it  should  have 
been,  was  strenuously  opposed  by  the  citizens  of  both  Minne- 
apolis and  St.  Anthonj'.  It  required  hard  work  on  our  part 
to  defeat  it,  but  we  succeeded  in  doing  so  ;  and  after  so  long 
a  time  since  the  event,  we  can  not  l;.o  toj  thankful  that  our 
eflPoi-ts  were  successful ;  had  tii<ey  not  been,  a  large  part  of 
what  is  now  Wright  county  won)f!  ^.ave  been  the  very  light 
and  life  of  the  Winnebago  natioiu.  There  would  have  been 
no  Dayton,  Monticello,  Cltarwater,  Otsego,  Watertown,  Del- 
ano, Eockford,  or  Buffala  and  it  is  doubtful  if  Minneapolis 
or  St.  Paul  would  have  been  nearly  as  large  to-day  in  popu- 
lation, had  that  treaty  been  ratified  by  the  whites. 


OV    MINNEHOTA  ANP   ITS   PEOPLE. 


'207 


The  improvfMnentH  iiuid*'  in  St.  Anth*>uy  this  Honnon  were 
sntiHffU'tory.  Mr.  Clout  in-  erected  a  Inrife  houHO  near  the 
Cuth()li(^  eliureli.  A  large  ftdditu^n  to  the  JSt.  CharleH  wjih 
completed  by  the  then  laiidKvi>l  of  that  hotel,  Captain  J.  B. 
GilV)ert.  Mr.  ]iall  built  a  tine  bK>ek  al)ov«»  Dornum'H.  Wil- 
Bon'H  iniproveiuentH,  corner  of  Main  and  HolliiiH  streetn,  were 
an  oriuunent  to  the  village.  E<1  Lippineott  Hnislked  liin 
blacksmith  shop  opposite  the  mill  ;  Stearnn,  Manwenr  A- 
Dickey  l)uilt  a  large  furniture  nuinnfactnring  establishment  ; 
King  finished  his  block  for  stores  and  offices  ;  Gvo.  A.  Brott 
completed  his  dwelling  on  the  cliff,  which  was  the  fiivest  one 
in  the  territory  ;  and  Cheever  commenced  liis  observatoiy 
which  attracted  so  much  attention  in  the  early  days.  Innu- 
merable improvements  were  made  on  the  back  streets. 

During  the  year  considerable  sickness  prevailed  in  the 
village.  It  was  mostly  confined  to  young  children.  Among 
the  fatal  cases  were  the  only  child  of  Rev,  Charles  Secombe, 
a  lovely  little  boy  of  some  six  months  ;  and  on  the  19th  of 
March  Jndge  and  "^(Irs,  Atwater's  pleasant  home  was  made  a 
house  of  mourning  by  the  loss  of  their  only  child  Caroline,  a 
beaxitiful  little  girl  of  fifteen  months.  The  child  of  Isaac  I. 
Lewis,  little  Henry  Jay,  died  on  the  9th  of  September.  Dec. 
4  Col.  Alvaren  Allen's  fireside  was  called  to  greatly  lament 
the  death  of  their  only  little  daughter,  Ella  Ophelia,  at  the 
age  of  ''  'enty-three  mouths.  Those  two  little  girls  were  the 
first-be  lin  each  family.  Several  other  families  were  afflicted 
in  like  manner,  including  those  of  Dr.  Murphy,  J.  G.  Lennon 
and  Mr.  Orth. 

On  the  18th  of  September  the  Hennepin  county  Bible 
society  was  organized  through  an  agent  of  the  Ameri- 
can Bible  society.  The  officers  elected  for  the  year  were  Dr. 
A,  E.  Ames,  president ;  Rev,  Mr.  Harris,  vice-president  ; 
treasurer.  Dr.  H.  Fletcher  ;  secretary.  Miss  Mary  A.  Scofield  ; 
executive  committee,  A,  Harmon,  D,  M.  Hanson  and  J.  N. 
Barber  ;  local  agents.  Philander  Prescott,  William  Finch, 
Rev.  G.  H.  Pond,  Rev.  Charles  Galpin,  Rev,  A,  C.  Godfrey, 
Deacon  Mann,  B,  E.  Messer,  Rev,  J.  W,  Dow,  A.  Harmon, 
Mrs.  Joseph  Dean,  Miss  Mary  E.  Miller,  Miss  Marian  H. 
Coolbaugh,  Miss  Stough  and  Miss  Moffeti  This  was  the 
first  organization  of  a  kindred  character  in  Hennepin  county. 


rl: 


iTf. 


Mr- 


208 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


111  pursuance  of  previous  noticf  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Hennepin  county  Agricultural  society,  incorporated  by  an 
act  of  the  legislature,  approved  February  28th,  1853,  was  held 
in  the  covtrt  house,  September  7th.  Dr.  Ames  called  the 
meeting  to  order.  He  was  elect^-d  president,  and  Joseph  H. 
Canney  was  chosen  secretary.  The  meeting  was  addressed 
by  E.  L.  Hall,  John  W.  Nortli,  Isaac  Atwator,  Judge  Chat- 
field,  Captain  Dodge,  and  othere.  Isaac  Atwater,  John  H. 
Stevens,  J.  N.  Barber,  and  R.  B.  Gibson,  were  ai)i)ointed  a 
committee  to  draft  a  constitution  and  by-laws.  On  the  adop- 
tion of  the  constitution  and  by-laws,  as  reported  by  the  com- 
mittee, the  following  officers  were  elected  for  the  ensuing 
year  :  President,  Bev.  J.  W.  Dorr  ;  treasurer,  E.  Case  ;  sec- 
retary, J.  K.  Canney  ;  executive  committee,  J.  H.  Stevens, 
N.  C.  Stoddard,  William  Chambers,  W.  W.  Getchell  and 
Stephen  Hall.  It  was  decided  to  hold  an  agricultural  fair  in 
Minneapolis  on  the  third  Tuesday  in  October,  1853,  and  that 
the  ladies  be  requested  to  send  specimens  of  their  industrial 
|)roducts.  The  following  gentlemen  were  ai)pointed  a  com- 
mittee on  analysis  of  the  soil :  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  J.  H.  Stevens 
and  Charles  Hoag. 
THE    l^EGINNINO    OF    THE   MINNESOTA   AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY 

At  the  meeting  above  mentioned,  N.  E.  Stoddard  offered 
the  following  resolution,  which  was  unanimously  adopted  : 
Besolved,  That  this  society  deems  it  expedient  that  there 
should  be  a  convention  held  at  St.  Paul  on  the  first  Wednes- 
day of  January  next,  to  form  a  teri'itorial  agricultural  society, 
and  that  delegates  be  iiowai)i)ointed  to  attend  said  convention  ; 
and  that  other  agricultural  societies  in  the  territory  are 
respectfully  requested  to  send  delegates  to  said  convention. 
Messrs.  Stoddard,  A.  N.  Hoyt  and  William  Chambers  were 
api)ointed  said  delegates. 

l"^p  to  this  time  there  had  been  iu»  work  laid  out  on  the 
Minnetonka  road.  For  that  matter,  there  was  no  road,  aside 
from  a  })ath  through  the  brush-lands,  which  was  almost 
ijiipassable.  The  citizens  of  both  sides  of  the  river  were 
called  upon,  and  they  subscribetl  suflicient  money  to  make  a 
good  road  to  the  lake.  O.  E,  (larrison  was  called  upon  to 
superintend  the  work. 

At  u  meeting  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Mississippi  Bridge 


■H! 


</  '  MlNNv'.SOTA   AND   ITS   PEOPLE. 


209 


t'dinpaiiy,  on  tlie  24tli,  the  following  f^entlemen  were  api)ointed 
officers  for  the  ensuing  year  :  Hon.  John  Rollins,  president  ; 
S.  M.  Tracy,  secretary  and  treasurer  ;  Charles  King,  J.  W. 
North,  Shelton  Hollister,  E.  P.  Russell,  Francis  Morrison  and 
S.  K.  Shultz,  directors. 

Tn  consequence  of  the  great  influx  of  children  into  St. 
Anthony  during  the  summer,  when  the  fall  and  winter  ochools 
were  opened  it  was  found  that  there  was  not  sufficient  school- 
room for  them.  A  number  of  private  schools  were  opened. 
The  S?isters  made  use  of  a  large  room  in  the  uj)|)er  town  for 
school  purposes.  Rev.  Mr.  Chamberlain  and  his  wife,  who 
was  a  daughter  of  Bishop  Chase,  opened  a  seminary  for  young 
ladies,  and  Mrs.  Z.  E.  'B.  Nash  commenced  a  select-school, 
which  became  very  popular.  With  these  select-schools  in 
addition  to  the  preparatory  department  of  the  state  university 
and  the  two  district-schools,  the  majority  of  the  children  were 
accommodated.  The  services  of  Charles  Hoag  were  secured 
for  the  principal  school  building  in  St.  Anthony,  while  those 
of  Mr.  (Jlarke,  an  experienced  teacher  from  Ohio,  were  secured 
for  tlie  Miujieapolis  school.  Mr.  Clarke  was  the  first  male 
teacher  in  the  Minneapolis  schools. 

The  Northampton  farmers,  so-called,  belonging  to  the 
Excelsior  colony,  were  wonderfully  ])leased  with  the  product- 
iveness of  the  soil.  Ai'brt  Cleveland  ])lanted  two  potatoes, 
from  which  he  raised  a  bushel  and  a  half  of  good  merchant- 
able potatoes.  The  members  of  the  colony  seemed  thoroughly 
impressed  with  the  fertility  of  the  section  of  country  they  had 
selected  for  their  homes.  The  average  to  the  acre  of  spring 
wheat  was  thirty  bushels.  These  were  the  days  that  farmers 
made  money  ;  more  so  than  since  that  time  ;  probably  more 
so  than  they  will  in  the  future. 

A  German  colony  arrived  from  th(>  old  country  and  settled 
on  a  lake  some  three  miles  west  of  Mr.  Cleveland's  place. 
Sheriff  Brown  named  the  lake  Bjivaria.  The  colony  was 
lieaded  by  Joseph  Kossler. 

Ard  Godfrey  finislied  his  mill  at  the  mouth  of  Little  Falls 
creek,  the  building  of  which  received  his  constant  attention 
for  a  year.  He  connuenced  sawing  on  the  first  of  October. 
He  decided  to  build  a  flour-mill. 

The  citizens  of  Minneapolis  decided,  early  in  October,  to 


m 


w 


.!':ii 


irfr^ 


210 


TEIiSOXAL    IlECOLLECTIONS 


engage  B.  E.  Messer  to  tench  n  Hingiiig-scliool  during  the 
winter.  The  foHowing  is  a  list  of  subscriptions  to  pay  the 
teaclier  :  John  H.  Stevens  five  dollars,  Thomas  Chambers  five 
dollars,  A.  N.  Hoyt  five  dollars,  E.  S.  Smith  five  dollars,  John 
S.  Cooper  fiv(>  dollars,  Edwin  Hedderly  three  dollars,  William 
Dickie  three  dollars,  Calvin  A.  Tiittle  three  dollars,  Geo.  E. 
Huy  three  dollars,  (leorge  Park  two  dollars  and  a  half,  S.  S. 
Crowell  two  dollars,  AVilliam  Cloodwin  two  dollars,  Daniel 
Scoti;  two  dollars,  George  Davis  two  dollars,  Gilbert  Hanson 
two  dollars,  W.  (t.  Murphy  one  dollar  and  a  half,  Chas.  AV. 
Monson  one  dollar  and  a  half.  Simeon  K.  Odell  and  several 
others  signed  all  the  way  from  fifty  cents  to  a  dollar,  making 
in  all  a  sufficient  amount  for  a  continuance  of  the  school  all 
wintei".  This  was  the  first  singing-school  in  H(Mnie})in  county. 
Minneapolis  had  now  not  only  a  good  teacher  in  the  district- 
school,  but  a  gt)od  (me  in  the  singing-school.  The  only 
school  ever  held  out  of  Minneai)olis  j)roper,  up  to 
this  time,  in  tlie  c(mnty,  except  a  garrison  school  at  Fort 
Suelling,  was  an  Indian  school  at  the  Ljike  Harriet  mission 
as  early  as  IHIJG,  taught  by  Kev.  S.  AV.  Pond. 

In  conse(i[iumce  of  the  increasing  practice  in  his  profession, 
Dr.  Murphy  found  that  he  could  not  well  accept  the  nomina- 
tion of  the  Whiles  of  St.  Anthony  for  the  council.  A  new  con- 
venticm  was  held,  when  Hon.  C.  F,  Stearns  was  nominated  in 
his  stead.  Henry  S.  Plummer  was  nominated  for  the  house 
in  Mr.  Stearns'  j)]ace.  Tliis  ticket  was  elected,  with  Cephas 
Gardner  as  Mr.  Plummer's  colleague  in  the  house.  Dr. 
Kingsley  and  Lardner  liostwick  were  elected  city  justices. 
Maj.  A.  M.  Fridley,  of  St.  Anthony,  was  elected  sheriff  of 
Ramsey  county.  In  the  sixth  council  district,  to  which  Hen- 
nepin county  was  attached,  the  candidates  for  the  council 
were  Joseph  R.  Brown,  democrat,  and  S.  F.  Cook,  whig,  both 
of  Dakota  county  ;  for  the  house,  Wm.  H.  Nobles,  of  Scott 
county,  and  Dr.  H.  Fletcher  of  Hennejjin  county,  democrats  ; 
and  John  H.  Ste\eus,  whig.  The  democrats  were  elected,  as 
were  the  candidates  on  tlu'  democratic  ticket  for  the  ccmnty 
offices  in  Hennei)in  county,  with  the  exception  of  Washington 
Getchell  for  county  conmiissiont^r. 

The  survey  for  the  bridge  over  the  river  was  complet<Hl, 
and  the  estimate  maile  to  the  stockholderb.     Mr.  Newton,  the 


HMB 


BPJW 


WK&smm 


I  !' 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  TEOPLE. 


211 


)r. 

.•L'S. 

of 


otli 
ott 

ts; 

iity 
^on 

tod, 
tlio 


first  engineer  of  the  bridge,  came  near  being  drowned  while 
engaged  in  the  survey,  and  lost  a  valuable  level  and  tripod 
which  sank  to  the  bottom  of  the  river, 

Thomas  Chambers  and  Edwin  Hedderly  formeil  a  copart- 
nership and  opened  a  tirst-class  store  in  tlu'  lower  room  of 
the  court-house,  near  the  ferry.  A  few  weeks  afterward,  on 
November  25th,  Joseph  LeDuc  and  A.  King  started  another 
first-class  store,  near  the  lower  ferry,  on  the  Minneapolis  side 
of  the  river.  At  last  the  citizens  on  the  west  side  at  the 
Falls  could  buy  their  tea  and  coffee  and  other  necessary 
goods,  at  liome. 

There  was  a  ;,'reat  scarcity  of  working  oxen  for  the  pineries 
this  fall.  They  frequently  sold  for  one  hundred  and  thirty 
up  to  one  hr.ndred  and  forty  dollars  per  yoke,  which  was 
almost  double  the  price  they  had  been  worth  previous  years. 
There  were  no  horses  \ised  to  haul  logs  in  the  pineries. 

The  AVinneliagoes  were  secretly  leaving  their  reservation 
at  Long  Prairie  to  spend  the  winter  down  among  the  gi'aves 
of  their  fathers  in  Iowa  and  "Wisconsin  ;  and  while  making 
the  portage  around  the  Falls  committed  numerous  depreda- 
tions on  the  stock  of  the  settlers  in  this  vicinity.  Mr.  Hed- 
derly and  A.  N.  Hoyt  were  the  principal  sufferers.  Every 
effort  was  made  to  punish  the  Indians  for  the  depredations 
they  committed,  but  they  escaped  in  their  boats  and  were 
never  punished. 

The  Rev.  F.  Nutting,  of  the  Northampton  colony,  died  on 
the  17th  of  December.  This  was  the  tii-st  death  among  those 
who  came  west  under  the  Excelsior  auspices.  He  was  a  man 
t)f  threat  worth.  He  left  his  eastern  home  in  consequence  of 
liiP'?  difficulties.  After  a  residence  of  over  a  year  in  the  ter- 
ri'(>'  V  he  had  seemingly  fully  recovered  his  health.  He  had 
s,  ;u"  business  in  the  east  which  made  it  necessary  to  return 
th>^'"e.  Immediately  on  his  arrival  he  contracted  a  severe 
cci  ',  vhich  settled  on  his  lungs.  He  at  once  returned  to 
Mi'.uesota,  Init  oidy  lived  a  few  days  aftei-  reaching  his  home 
in  '^t.  Anthony.  His  physician  said  that  if  he  had  not  made 
a  visit  to  the  east  his  life  would  probably  have  been  pro- 
longed many  years  in  this  climate. 


,1-: 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


FIRST   SURVEY  FOR   THE  NORTHERN   PACIFIC  RAILROAD. 


On  tl     c^tli  of  April,  1853,  Major  Isaac  I.  Stevens,  of  the 
United  Sie  my,  was  assigned  by  tlie  war  department  to 

the  duty  of  t  -  oring  a  route  for  the  Pacific  railroad  from  St. 
Paul  via  St.  Anthony  to  the  Pacific  coast.  He  had  previously 
been  appointed  governor  of  the  territory  of  Washington.  He 
arrived  at  St.  Paul  on  the  27th  of  May,  but  the  officers  and 
soldiers  of  the  command  thatwap  to  accompany  him  had 
arrived  several  days  previously,  and  had  encamped  on  the 
banks  of  Lake  Amelia,  near  this  village.  The  encampment 
extended  to  Diamond  Lake.  At  this  point  all  the  plans  were 
completed  for  the  survey  of  the  route  for  the  proposed  rail- 
road. All  the  government  mules,  the  horses  belonging  to  the 
dragoons,  and  to  the  officers,  were  thoroughly  tested  with 
regard  to  the  probability  of  theii  capacity  for  making  the 
long  journey.  The  numerous  wagons  were  thoroughly  over- 
hauled and  examined.  Some  of  these  wagons  had  seen  service 
in  the  Mexican  and  Florida  war.  The  country  was  thoroughly 
canvassed  for  teamsters,  wagon-masters,  and  men  to  serve  in 
various  capacities.  Governor  Stevens  offered  such  high  wages 
that  there  was  danger  of  a  large  majority  of  our  young  men 
around  the  Falls,  including  those  engaged  in  the  pineries, 
going  with  him  to  the  Pacific.  Aroong  those  who  accompa- 
nied him  were  W.  W.  Bixby,  Henry  Berry,  and  several  others. 
Pierre  Bottineau  went  with  him  as  a  guide.  He  also  hired 
Henry  Belland  as  a  guide  for  Lieut.  Cuvier  Grover,  who  was 
to  explore  a  more  northerly  route  than  that  which  Governor 


m 


OP  MINNEHOTA   AND  ITS   PEOPLE. 


213 


the 
)ver- 
■vice 

e  in 
ages 
men 
ries, 
tnpa- 
lei's. 
lired 
was 
irnor 


Stevens  was  to  traverse.  Many  of  the  persons  in  civil  life 
wliose  services  had  been  secured  by  Governor  Stevens  to 
accompany  him  subsequently  became  known  throughout  the 
Union.  Among  them  were  Messrs.  Lander,  Tinkham,  Osgood, 
Kendall,  and  Stanley.  Governor  Stevens  broke  camp  on 
Monday,  the  6tli  of  Jiuie.  Captain  Tapi)er  had  two  busy  days 
in  ferrying  them  over  the  river.  What  seems  a  little  strange 
at  this  late  day  is,  that  none  of  those  persons  from  tlie  Falls, 
who  went  with  Governor  Stevens  on  that  memorable  jour- 
ney, ever  returned  to  live  here. 

Edward  Patch,  G.  B.  Dutton,  Z.  M.  Brown,  E.  B.  Kandall 
and  Robert  W.  Oitmniings  were  appointed  trustees  of  the 
John  G.  Potts  Lodge  No.  3  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  of  the  town  of  St.  Anthony  Falls,  in  pursuance 
of  an  act  of  incorporation  passed  by  the  legislature,  approved 
February  27th,  1852.  This  was  the  first  Lodge  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows  ever  organized  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony. 

The  Library  Association  of  St.  Anthony  commenced  early 
in  the  Fall  to  secure  proper  persons  to  lecture  during  the 
winter  of  1853  and  '54.  This  Association,  in  the  early  days 
of  St.  Anthony,  was  a  source  of  great  benefit  to  the  citizens 
of  that  village,  morally  and  intellectually.  In  looking  back 
to  that  i)eriod,  at  this  time,  the  good  residts  that  flowed  from 
that  institution  seem  to  have  been  the  connnencenient  of  the 
real  tendency  of  the  citizens,  which  has  ever  distinguished 
them,  to  a  high  order  of  mental  development.  The  Associa- 
tion was  incorporated  as  early  as  November  1st,  1849,  by  an 
act  of  the  territorial  legislature.  The  incorporators  were  J. 
J.  Carleton,  II.  P.  Ilussell,  Ira  Barrows,  Eli  F.  Lewis  and 
Sumner  W.  Farnham. 

It  was  intended  by  the  farmers  of  Hennepin  county  to  hold 
an  agricultural  fair  i::  Minneapolis  this  fall,  but  the  executive 
committee  considered  it  better  to  jjostpone  that  event  until 
the  fall  of  1854.  The  agricultund  society  was  incorporated 
by  an  act  of  the  legislature,  api)rove{l  February  20,  1853. 
The  jjersons  named  in  the  act  of  incorporation  were  E.  Case, 
Joel  B.  Bassett,  Alexander  Moore,  Warren  Bristol,  H. 
Fletcher,  A.  E.  Ames,  John  H.  Stevens,  P.  Prescott,  Joseph 
Dean  and  John  S.  Mann.  It  was  determined  by  the  execu- 
tive committee,  in  pursuance  of  the  resolution  by  Mr.  Stod- 


! 


V     ■;;■?:! 


"?  i] 


■M-L 


•  ;L 


T^i/.U'r'T^* 


214 


PEKHONAIi    RECOLLECTIONS 


dard,  passed  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  society  in  September, 
to  take  immediate  steps  to  orj^anize  a  territorial  agricultural 
society.  After  a  correspondence  with  leading  agriculturists 
in  the  state,  the  following  notice  Mpjjcared  in  the  several 
newspapers  jniblished  in  the  territory,  under  date  of  Decem- 
ber 17th  : 

TERIIITOBIAL  AGRICULTURAL   SOCIETY. 

"  Confei'ence  having  been  had  among  the  friends  of  agri- 
"  cultural  ini])rovement  in  different  parts  of  the  territory,  and 
"  a  general  desire  having  been  expres  d  for  the  formation  of 
"a  territorial  society,  the  undersigned,  delegates  from  the 
"agricultural  societies  of  Hennepin,  Ramsey,  and  Benton 
"  counties,  have  deemed  it  expedient  to  call  a  convention  for 
"  that  purpose,  to  be  held  in  St.  Paul,  on  Monday,  the  4th 
"  of  January  next,  at  2  o'clock  p.  m.,  at  the  capital.  The  dif- 
"  ferent  counties  interested  in  this  measure  are  respectfully 
"  and  earnestly  solicited  to  seiul  delegates  to  the  convention, 
"  that  the  whole  territory  may  be  represented  in  this  desirable 
"  object.  In  addition  to  the  business  of  the  formation  of  the 
"  society,  an  address  before  the  convention  may  b(^  exjjected, 
"of  which  due  notice  may  be  given.  Signed  :  John  H. 
"Stevens,  chairman  executive  committee  of  the  Hennepin 
"  county  agricultural  society  ;  A.  E.  Ames,  A.  N.  Hoyt,  N.  E. 
"  Stoddai'd,  of  the  Hennepin  county  agriciiltural  society  ;  W. 
"  W.  Wales,  Ramsey  county  agricultural  society ;  O.  H. 
"  Kelly,  Benton  coimty  agricultural  society." 

MINNESOTA   AGRICULTURAL   SOCIETY   ORGANIZED. 

For  the  purpose  of  completing  the  history  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Minnesota  state  agi'icultural  society,  of  which  there 
has  been  so  much  controA'ersy  in  the  state,  and  so  many 
inaccurate  statements,  from  time  to  time,  this  article  is 
extended  into  a  record  of  events  in  relation  thereto  that 
occurred  in  the  early  jmrt  of  1854. 

At  the  territorial  convention  held  in  the  hall  of  the  house 
of  representatives,  at  St.  Paul,  January  4th,  1854,  Hon.  A.  E. 
Ames,  of  Hennepin,  called  the  meeting  to  order,  and  stated 
the  object  of  the  convention.  On  motion  of  Hon.  R.  M. 
Richardson,  of  Benton,  Captain  William  Holcombe,  of  Wasli- 
ington,  was  called  to  the  chair,  and  John  H.  Stevens  of  Hen- 
nepin,  and  W.  H.  Moore,  of  Washington,  were  ai)pointed 


VB^ 


0B^. 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND   ITH   I'KOPLE. 


215 


;e(l 


11  «■ 

M.. 


secretaries  of  the  convention.  Tlic  following  dolegntos  from 
the  agricultural  counties  of  Ramsey,  IJeuton,  and  Hennej)iii 
took  their  seats  as  members  of  the  convention  :  Ramsey,  J. 
W.  Selby,  C.  L.  Willis,  A.  Bennett,  John  R.  Irvine,  George 
Richard,  Charles  Symonds,  James  H.  Brown,  Geo,  A.  Camp, 
Truman  M.  Smith,  George  Hezley,  C.  H.  Parker,  and  AVm.  L. 
Ames  ;  Benton  county,  8.  B.  Olmstead,  C.  C.  Crane,  R.  M. 
Richardson,  aiul  Wm.  H.  Kelly  ;  Hennepin  county,  A.  N. 
Hoyt,  N.  E.  Stoddard,  A.  E.  Ames,  Edward  Muri)hy,  John  H. 
Stevens,  E.  Case  AVilliam  Chambers,  and  Isaac  Brown.  On 
motion  of  Dr,  Ames,  the  following  gentlemen  from  counties 
outside  the  call  were  admitted  as  delegates  to  the  convention  : 
Washington  county,  A.  Stevens,  Geo.  W.  Camjjbell,  W.  H. 
Morse,  A.  Van  Vorhes,  William  Holcoml)e,  W.  R.  Brown, 
R,  Watson,  John  A.  Ford,  and  John  E.  Mower,  l^akvjta 
county,  A.  G.  Chatfield,  S.  W.  Cook,  Thomas  Foster,  and  A. 
R.  French.  Nicollet  coimty,  Benjamin  Thompson,  and  Geo. 
H.  McLeod.  Scott  county,  Wm.  H.  Nobles,  and  Daniel 
Apgar,  Pembina,  Norman  W.  Kittson.  Chisago  county, 
N.  C.  D.  Taylor.  On  motion  of  E.  Muri)hy,  of  Hennepin,  a 
committee  of  three  was  appointed  to  draft  a  constitution  and 
by-laws  for  the  government  of  the  scx'iety.  E.  Murphy,  A. 
E.  Ames,  and  W.  R.  Brown  were  appointed  said  committee. 
After  the  committee  had  reported  a  constitution  and  by-laws 
for  the  government  of  the  society,  the  following  officers  were 
elected  for  the  year  1854 :  President,  Governor  W.  A.  Gor- 
man ;  vice-presidents,  J.  W.  Selby,  Ramsey  county  ;  R.  M. 
Richardson,  Benton  county  ;  vS.  M.  Cook,  Dakota  county  ; 
John  H.  Stevens,  Hennepin  county  ;  Robert  Watson,  Wash- 
ington county  ;  and  Wm.  H.  Nobles,  Scott  county  ;  sei-retary. 
Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  Hennepin  county  ;  treasurer,  CI  A.  Parker, 
Ramsey  county  ;  executive  committee,  B.  F.  Hoyt  of  Ramsey, 
W.  R.  Brown  of  Washington,  N.  E.  Stoddard  of  Hennepin, 
Captain  J.  B.  S.  Todd  of  Cass,  and  Wn\.  S.  Allison  of  Dakota. 
The  new  society  was  addressed  by  Governor  Gorman, 
Judge  A.  G.  Chatfield,  A.  Stevens,  G.  AV.  Campbell,  J.  W. 
Selby,  Rev.  B.  F.  Hoyt,  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  S.  M.  Cook,  Dr. 
Thomas  Foster,  Wm.  L.  Ames,  and  Wm.  H.  Nobles.  The 
executive  committee  was  directed  to  take  steps,  if  practicable, 
to  hold  a  territorial  fair  at  some  convenient  place  the  ensuing 


I  m 


:    I 


il    ■ 


•if 

nx 

11: 


216 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


Ml.  From  that  little  heginning  the  present  proud  and 
wealthy  Minnesota  state  agricultural  society  had  its  birth. 
Of  the  original  members  of  the  first  society,  organized  so  long 
ago,  belonging  to  the  present  state  society,  John  H.  Stevens, 
of  Hennepin,  alone  answered  to  the  roll-call  at  the  January 
meeting  in  1889. 

The  demand  for  brick  had  become  so  great  in  both  St. 
Anthony  and  Miimeapolis,  it  was  determined  that  steps  should 
be  taken  to  manufactiire  them  at  the  falls  early  in  the  spring 
of  1854.  A  company  consisting  of  Messrs.  R.  P.  Eussell, 
Isaac  I.  Lewis,  David  Bickford,  and  John  H.  Stevens,  was 
organized  for  the  purpose  on  the  15th  of  December.  Mr. 
Lewis  was  appointed  agent,  and  was  directed  to  purchase  oue 
hundred  cords  of  wood  for  burning  the  brick. 

Charles  N.  Harris,  a  boy  who  resided  with  his  uncle  John 
W.  North,  in  St.  Anthony,  was  riding  a  horse,  when  the 
animal  became  frightened,  reared,  and  fell  backward  upon  the 
boy,  nearly  crushing  hiiu  to  death.  One  leg  was  broken 
above  the  knee,  and  he  received  other  serious  injury,  but 
recovered.  That  boy  became  a  brave  soldier  in  the  First 
Minnesota  regiment,  and  wns  shot  through  the  breast  at  the 
battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  left  L.y  his  comrades  upon  the  battle- 
field, supposed  to  he  dead,  and  so  reported.  His  funeral 
sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Dr.  Crary,  in  the  presence  of  a 
large  audience,  at  Richfield,  in  Hennepin  county,  where  his 
parents  and  sisters  resided.  After  lying  upon  the  ground  for 
ni.  ly  lumrs  in  the  heat  and  until  his  wound  was  alive  with 
worms,  he  was  taken  by  the  c(mfederates  to  the  famed  tobacco- 
warehouse  prison  at  Richmond,  whence  ho  was,  after  many 
days,  sent  north  in  exchange  of  prisoners.  After  the  war 
Mr.  Harris  was  for  eight  years  a  district  judge  in  Nevada. 
Like  his  uncle  North,  he  is  a  talented  speaker  and  writer. 
I  think  he  now  resides  in  California,  as  does  also  Mr.  North 
and  Dr.  Crary. 

St.  Anthony,  as  xisual,  received  a  valuable  inmiigration  dur- 
ing the  season  of  1853.  Hon.  Henry  T.  Welles,  Dr.  A.  E. 
Johnson,  the  Baldwins,  father  and  two  sons,  and  several 
others,  who  hfive  since  become  prominent  in  the  history  of 
the  state,  made  the  village  their  home.  It  was  estimated  that 
the  town  increased  a  third  or  more  in  population.     At  the 


OF    MINNESOTA  AND   ITS   PEOPLE. 


217 


close  of  the  year  every  one  seemed  sntisfted  with  the  progress 
made  in  everything  that  was  beneficial  to  the  place. 

A    THANKSGIVING    SEHMON    AS    PROPHETIC    AH    IT   IS    DEVOUT. 


If. 


h 


Rev.  C.  Secombe,  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church,  in  a 
sermon  in  anticipation  of  the  coming  thanksgiving,  the  last  of 
December,  said  that  "  the  calls  for  thanksgiving  at  the  presen 
"  time,  are  neither  few  nor  small.  We  inhabit  a  charming 
"  country.  The  '  green  pastures'  and  '  still  waters'  of  the  sweet 
"  singer  ot  i.^rael,  here  iind  a  I'emarkable  exemplification.  For 
"  so  high  a  latitude,  we  seem  to  make  as  near  an  approach  to 
"  Italian  scenery  the  charming  insjnrer  of  the  rustic  muse — 
"  as  the  length  of  our  season  will  admit  of.  Minnesota,  with  its 
"carnelian  lakes  and  laughing  water  falls,  verdant  prairies  and 
"  groves  of  oak,  the  magnificent  bluffs  and  occasional  grottoes, 
"  can  scarcely  fail  of  becoming  the  birth-place  of  the  poet, 
"  whose  soul-inspiring  theme  sliall  breathe  the  fragrance  of 
"classic  purity,  and  a  christian  devotion  uixm  the  latest  gen- 
"eration.  With  its  productive  soil,  and  genial  seasons,  it  is 
"  destined  to  minister  a  wealth  not  to  be  despised  even  in  so 
"great  a  nation.  Witli  the  bracing  clime  and  healthy  atmos- 
"  phere,  it  is  destiuinl  to  produce  a  race  of  men  who  will  make 
'the  world  feel  their  influence.  With  its  central  position,  it 
"  will  command  at  once  the  advantages  of  the  north,  the  south, 
«"  the  east,  and  tlie  west ;  already  but  a  few  days  ride  from  the 
"  Atlantic,  its  geographical  distance  is  but  little  more  to  the 
"Pacific,  while  its  communication  with  tlie  Clulf  of  Mexico  is 
"the  most  easy  and  direct  that  the  country  affords.  Such  are 
"the  circumstances  in  which  a  kind  Providence  has  cast  our 
"  lot.  Is  there  not  occasion  hen^  for  the  most  devout  gratitude  V 
"As  we  celebrate  this  annual  Thanksgiving  festival  of  our 
"  fathers — as  we  remember  their  noble  deeds  who  now  slumber 
"  in  the  diist  -  as  we  remend)er  that  God  is  now  calling  us, 
"  their  sons,  to  give  a  character  tt)  this  lovely  portion  of  oxir 
"  great  inheritance  how  .should  our  hearts  swell  with  emotions 
"  of  gratitude  !  How  should  our  bosoms  heave  with  a  country's 
"love  !  How  should  tmr  s»)uls  bum  with  the  noble  purpo.se, 
"  that  nought  of  the  high  responsibility  which  has  thus  been 
"laid  upon  our  shoulders,  shall  ever  fall  to  the  ground  !" 


I:    Lii 


I' 

I 


^M 


i 


m 
m 


I  ii 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


IMPROVEMENTS  IN   HENNEPIN   COUNTY. 


The  citizeiiH  of  Ht'iiupinn  county  oiitHicU'  of  Mimienj)olis,  at 
the  close  of  the  season,  had  great  reason  to  be  thankful  for  the 
pn)gress  raaole  during  th(>  year.  The  fai'niers  had  harvested 
a  bountiful  croj),  and  had  a  large  breadth  of  land  i)repared  for 
the  reception  of  seed  the  next  spring.  Some  five  liundred 
farmers  had  made  claims  to  land  since  the  opening  of  navi- 
gation. Mills  for  the  convenienc**  of  the  farmers  had  been 
erected  and  finished  in  Minneapolis,  St.  Anthony,  Minnetonka, 
at  the  mouth  of  Minnehaha  stream  and  on  that  water-course 
in  Richfield.  The  latter  had  been  built  in  the  most  substan- 
tial manner  ])y  Philander  Prescott,  his  son-in-law  Eli  Petti- 
john,  and  Willis  G.  Motfett,  and  was  capable  of  manu- 
facturing larg(»  (quantities  of  flour  of  the  choicest  quality. 

The  tendency  of  the  immigration  was  west  and  s(mth  of 
Minneapolis.  The  Excelsior  colony  had  located  many  farmers 
on  the  borders  of  Lake  Minnetonka.  Others  also  settled  on 
the  lake  who  did  not  Ijelong  to  the  colony.  James  Shaver, 
jr.,  Wm.  B.  Harrington,  John  P.  Miller,  D.  P.  Spafford,  A. 
N.  Gray,  Samuel  Bartow,  R.  E.  McKinney,  C.  E.  Dow,  Ste- 
phen Hull,  William  Linlithgow,  R.  ('.  Willey,  Peter  M. 
Gideon,  A.  P.  Biernan,  and  R.  H.  McCJrath,  were  among  the 
prominent  farmers,  each  of  whom  made  claims  of  a  quarter- 
.section  of  land.  All  the  members  of  the  colony,  including  the 
president,  Geo.  M,  Bertram,  and  the  pastor.  Rev.  Chas.  Galpin, 
also  claimed  a  ciuarter-section.  All  these  claims  were  made 
in  the  vicinity  of  Minnetonka.  In  Richfield,  James  Draper, 
Wm.  J.  Duggan,  Chas.  Haeg,  Merriman  McCabe,  J.  A.  Duns- 


VF    MINNKSOTA    AND    ITS    IM'.OI'LK. 


219 


M 


moor,  C.  AV.  Hiirris.  H«'nry  (n'ur^*',  iiml  II()l)ort  TowuhoikI, 
Jolin  Mc'CuIm',  hikI  s«'v«>rnl  otluT  promint'nt  iiit'ii,  nm(l(>  cliiiins. 

lilooiuin^ton,  t<M».  n'rcivt-d  many  |M'rninnont  t'anucrH,  ainong 
whom  wt'iv  J.  D.  Si'otifhl,  Jamt's  Aiulorson,  William  Jiryaut, 
and  M.  O.  Rtily. 

Miunetrista  f<»r  tlic  first  time  was  occupiod  by  Josopli  and 
John  Mrrz.  Most  of  tin-  vacant  hind  in  Crystal  Lake  was 
taken  by  cntcrjjrisini;  farnu-rs,  incliidin.tif  such  well-known 
men  as  Knfus  Farnham,  jr.,  I).  ('.  Clrandall,  Pc'ter  Schnller, 
Z.  (iillespie,  David  Morgan,  E.  McCausland,  H.  K.  Stillman, 
J.  S.  MallKin,  and  Josiah  Dutton. 

In  Brooklyn.  John  M.  Durnman,  John  W.  Goodale,  Asa 
rfowe,  C.  R.  Howe,  Sylvanu.s  Jenkins,  N.  H.  Jenkins,  Jacob 
Longfellow,  W.  W.  Wales,  Jr.,  and  Thomas  Warwick. 

In  Champlin.  J«>soph  Holt,  Augustus  Holt,  John  Pike,  B. 
E.  Messer,  Rev.  Lewis  Atkin.son,  R.  H.  Miller,  F.  Thonulyke, 
John  Shumway.  and  Colby  Emery. 

In  Dayton  the  immigration  was  tardy  in  reaching  that 
beaiitiful  townshij).  though  Paul  Go'line  settled  in  the  ])re- 
cincts  of  the  town  as  early  as  1851,  In  18o3  J<din  Veine 
made  a  claim  where  the  village  of  Dayton  now  stands.  Other 
claims  were  t^ik(>n  up  this  year  by  Marcelles  Boulee,  Benjamin 
Leveillier,  Daniel  Lavallee,  Anthony  Gelinas,  Louis  Bibeault, 
Moses  Desjarlois,  and  Edward  Greenwood. 

Plymouth  receivwl  its  tirst  settler  this  year  in  the  person 
of  Antoine  Le  Count,  who  made  a  claim  on  the  east  side  of 
Medicin(>  Lake,  late  in  October.  Thomas  Hughes,  with  a 
large  family  of  lH)ys,  made  a  claim  in  the  town  about  the  same 
time.  There  were  several  other  farmers  settU'd  in  ditfer<'nt 
parts  of  the  county  this  year,  whose  names  I  am  unable  to 
menti(m  at  this  time. 

The  father  of  Antoine  Le  Count,  who  was  known  to  the 
early  settlers  as  a  man  by  the  luime  of  Le  Gros,  was  a  guide  to 
many  of  the  exiHMliti«»ns  which  were  so  common  in  the  north- 
west in  the  territorial  days.  Some  of  these  e.xjjeditions  were 
of  n  scientific  natxire  ;  others  for  trading  with  the  abo  i^ir.es. 
Le  Gros  resided  for  a  short  time  in  this  neighborhood  at  a 
very  early  day,  and  was  employed  by  Franklin  Steele  to  reside 
on  Nicollet  island.  His  home  proper  was  on  the  banks  of  the 
Red  river  of  the  north,  near,  but  this  side  of,  the  C^anadian 


it 
m 


1  ^'iii 


i. 


£*%fjpr. 


220 


r£Rl*UXAL    BECOLLEC  1  IONS 


line.  Pierre  Botlim'au  ?*<*rv«l  an  apprenticeship  to  him  an  a 
^iiidc  when  lie  ha<!  wan"«-Iy  ivai'he«l  his  teenw.  LeGros  met 
with  a  violent  death  on  tht*  14th  clay  of  June,  1840,  on  the 
}>liiinH.  He  wjis  shot  l»y  th»*  tlistin^iiwhed  explorer,  Thomas. 
Simpson.  The  latter  <li>icov»  -♦il  in  the  Arctic  ccmntry  the 
region  known  as  Victoria  LaniL  He  had  employed  Le  Gros 
to  i)ilot  him  from  Fort  Garry,  in  the  British  possessions,  to 
Fort  SnellinK-  It  if^ su|ipo«Ml that  Simpst)n  became  deranged, 
shot  Le  (Jros,  an<l  another  niemWr  of  the  expedition  by  the 
name  of  Bird,  and  then  killed  himself.  Antoine  Le  Count, 
the  first  settler  in  Plymouth  township,  was  a  member  of  the 
expe.^'iti(m  and  witnesw^*!  th»^  sail  occurrence. 

D.   M.   H.%N80N.  • 

Among  the  «'arly  citia-iuiof  Minnea{x)lis,  there  \V'a8  perhaps 
no  one  more  pr«  iiuinent  in  all  that  related  tt)  the  public  welfare 
than  Domiticus  M.  Haii>«in.  He  was  a  stm  of  William  Han- 
son, one  of  the  earliest  ami  nioft  resj)ected  of  the  settlers,  m'1u> 
had  also  several  other  ImvR.  The  family  had  for  several  years 
gi'eat  influence  in  the  villa«F  and  county.  D.  M.  Hanson  was. 
a  lawyer,  and  a  ixtlitician.  A  tine  speaker,  with  jdeasing 
address,  and  an  anient  democrat,  he  had  pretty  much  his  own 
way  in  voicing  the  sentiment  of  his  jwirty.  He  excelled  as  a 
stumi)-speaker,  and  while  the  comitj'  was  undoubtedly  strong 
in  its  whig  tendencies.  Mr.  Hansim  was  this  year  elected 
district-attorney  on  the  democratic  ticket.  The  next  year, 
in  1854,  he  was  a  candidate  on  the  democratic  ticket  with  H. 
H.  Sibley,  for  the  hou^-  of  representatives,  for  the  winter 
session  of  1855,  and  was  trimnphantly  elected.  In  the  fall  of 
1855  he  was  the  candi<late  on  the  democi'atic  ticket  for  the 
council,  and  elected.  At  the  cLxse  of  the  session  of  the  legis- 
lature, on  March  1,  lS3<5.  Mr.  Hanson  returned  to  his  Minne- 
apolis home.  He  only  Iive«l  a  few  days  after  the  close  of  the 
session.  At  the  time  of  his  d^^ath  lie  was  only  twenty-eight 
years  old.  "With  liis  talent,  ambition,  and  industry,  had  his 
life  lieen  extended  to  this  perioil,  he  would  iinchmbtedly  have 
occupied  the  highest  offii^esi  in  the  gift  of  the  iieojile  of  this 
state.  He  left  a  widow,  but  no  children.  At  one  time  he, 
with  his  father  and  brothers.  owne<l  a  large  tract  of  land  in 
this  city  below  Tenth  avenue  south.  He  had  a  large  practice 
as  a  lawyer,  but  in  ci6n5et|uence  of  his  political  work,  when 


Juilj^o  ('ornoll  camo  to  this  city,  in  the  Hpring  of  1854,  he 
formed  ft  parf  norship  with  him,  and  tnnuMl  over  tho  moHt  of 
hiH  hiw  practice  to  the  judj^e.  At  one  time  Mr.  Hanwon's  name 
waH  a  household  word,  not  only  in  MinneapoliH,  St.  Anthony, 
and  Hennepin  county,  l)ut  throughout  tlu>  territory  ;  now  there 
is  not  one  citizen  in  one  hundr(*d  in  INIinntmpolis  who  ever 
heard  of  it.  Out  of  his  father's  larj^e  family,  there  is  only 
one  a  resident  of  the  state.  (Hlhert  Hanson  resides  in  Otter- 
i.iil  {•(.r.-iity.  Another  hrother,  Randall,  was  several  years  ago 
chief  of  police  in  this  city,  when  Get).  A.  Brackett  was  mayor. 
He  now  resides  on  the  Pacific  slope.  The  father  and  mother 
of  this  once  large  and  influential  family,  with  all  their  children 
except  the  two  mentioned,  are  in  tho  spirit-land. 

Among  the  citizens  of  Hennepin  county  who  selected  farms 
within  its  precincts,  is  J.  D.  Scofield,  who  took  a  claim  in 
Bloomington,  and  resides  on  it  to  this  day.  Mr.  Scofield  has 
been  prominent  in  organizations  beneficial  to  the  farmers. 
Samuel  Bartow  also  this  year  settled  on  the  banks  of  Lake 
Minnetonka.  He  continues  to  reside  on  the  old  farm.  Mr. 
Bartow  has  held  many  prominent  offices,  including  that  of 
•county  commissioner.  Another  settler  on  the  shores  of  the 
lake  this  year  was  Wm.  B.  Harrington.  He  was  a  descend- 
ant of  the  Puritan  Governor  Bradford,  of  the  Plymouth  colony. 
Mr.  Harrington's  father,  Hon.  John  Harrington,  was  a  native 
■of  Vermont.  Both  of  his  grandfathers  were  soldiers  in  the 
revohitionary  army.  Mr.  Harrington  was  a  man  of  great 
worth.  He  died  several  years  ago  at  Hutchinson,  in  McLeod 
county.  His  eldest  son,  Rev.  "Wm.  H.  Harrington,  resides  at 
Excelsior.  He  is  a  po})ular  clergy num  of  the  Universalist 
church.     He  also  edits  a  newspaper. 

PETEU    M.    GIDEON. 

Perhaps  Minnesota  was  never  more  fortunate  in  the  vecei)- 
tion  of  a  new-comer  than  she  was  this  year  in  the  })erson  of 
Peter  M.  Gideon,  who  also  made  a  home  on  the  borders  of 
Miimetonka.  Since  his  residence  on  his  farm,  he  has  become 
a  distinguished  j)omologisl,  and  has  nuide  a  world-wide  repu- 
tation in  introducing  new  varieties  of  fruit,  shade  and  orna- 
mental trees.  He  has  accomplished  a  great  work  in  the 
northwest  in  regard  to  raisinj,  hardy  sorts  of  apple-trees, 
which  survive  our  rigorous  climate.     Mr.  Gideon  still  resides 


d 


OF   MINNESOTA    AND   ITS   VI'.OI'I.E. 


221 


!ii 


'■i'H 


222 


TEKSOX  \h    IJECOi.LECTIONS 


on  ;i  j)ortion  of  ihv  land  he  first  clainu'd  so  many  years  ago. 
He  IK  H  iiativo  of  Clianipnigii  county,  Ohio,  wlu-n^  lie  was 
born  in  1 820.  He  connnenced  friiit-growing  in  Minnesota  the 
year  aftt^r  his  first  ani\al  in  tlie  territory.  His  labor  in  his 
experinieiits  with  fruit,  Howers,  shade  and  «)rnainental  trees, 
has  been  very  suceessful.  For  many  years  he  has  been  the 
superintendeni  of  tlin  state  experimental  fruit-farm  founded 
in  1878.  Among  the  varieties  of  apples  of  great  merit,  he  hay 
originated  the  Wealthy,  IV'ter,  and  Crraee.  He  has  also  some 
forty  new  varieties  of  seedlings  wliieh  ])romise  to  be  of  value 
tt>  the  fruit-growt'i's  of  the  west,  but  they  are  not  yet  fully 
tleveloped. 

IvHV.  Stephen  Hull,  who  was  the  first  actual  settler  on  the 
upper  Miiuietonka  Jjake,  was  a  man  of  much  inoYn  than 
ordinary  ii'Mlity.  In  Jiis  earlier  years  he  had  occupied  the 
pul|)it  <»f  n  proniiiH'iit  easteru  TJniversalist  church.  He 
resigned  llu-  pastorate  and  came  west.  He  selected  a  beauti- 
fixl  site  oil  the  narrows  of  the  lake  and  erected  what  was  at 
that  time  ii  gt»od  substantial  dwelling,  anil  cleared  off  quite  a 
farm,  whifh  he  worked  for  several  years.  The  narrows,  so- 
called,  l)etween  the  upper  and  lower  lake,  bear  his  name  to 
this  day.  His  old  home  is  now  the  site  of  the  Lake  Park 
grounds.  Mr.  Hull  made  his  claim  in  February  of  this  year. 
He  was  a  just,  honest  man,  and  when  in  after  years  he  sold 
his  farm  and  went  to  Missouri,  his  friends  and  neighbors 
greatly  regretted  his  removal. 

In  A|)ril  AVillifim  Linlithgow,  a  young  man  of  much  promise, 
aiTived  in  the  territory  from  near  Boston  and  selected  a  claim 
joining  Mr.  Hull's.  Mr.  Linlithgow  was  of  Scotch  descent, 
and  what  was  uncommon  in  those  days,  with  most  of  those 
seeking  homes  in  the  west,  he  was  wealtliy.  After  graduating 
from  one  of  tlie  most  prominent  eastern  colleges,  he  had 
travele<l  extensively  in  both  the  old  and  new  world.  To  this 
day  it  is  a  mystery  why  he  selecteil  the  banks  of  Minnetonka 
for  liis  home,  A  refined,  polished  man,  M'ith  more  money 
than  he  had  immediate  use  for,  he  quietly  settled  down  with 
tt  single  male  servant,  in  a  romantic  spot  oa  the  lake,  declar- 
ing that  it  should  be  his  home  for  life  :  and  it  was.  Late  in 
the  summer  of  1804;,  while  going  from  his  residence  to  Min- 
netonka mills,  in  a  beautiful  yacht,  whidi  he  had  cousiructed> 


OF   MIXNESCJTA   AND   ITS    I'EOl'LE. 


223 


lie  was  overtaken  by  a  storm,  and  ]H'risho(l  in  the  lake.  Quite 
recently,  at  tlie  same  place,  Mayor  liancl,  and  others,  lost 
their  lives.  M  »•.  Linlithgow's  body  was  found  several  days  aft<n- 
his  denth,  waslied  asliore,  but  his  yacht  reniiiins  at  the  bottom 
of  the  lake.  Enrly  settlers  in  the  county  mourned  his  d«'iith. 
A  relative  from  the  east  came  and  settled  his  estate,  but  the 
j)rincij)al  events  of  his  life,  previous  to  his  conung  to  Minne- 
sota, remain  unknown  to  his  western  friends.  One  of  the 
latter  so  greatly  lamented  his  death  that  it  was  more  than 
twenty  years  after  that  sad  ev(>nt,  before  he  would  take  ])as- 
sage  on  any  water-craft  whatever  on  that  lake. 

SCHOOLS   IN   THE   COUNTY —THANKSGIVING. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  year  1853  there  was  only  one  school 
outside  of  Minneajjolis,  with  the  exce])tion  of  the  school  at 
Fort  Snelling.  which  had  for  yeai's  been  taught  by  the  post 
chaplain  for  tin-  education  of  the  children  of  tl  ^  sohliers  in 
the  garrison.  At  Oak  Grove  mission  liev.  (I,  H.  Pond  had, 
since  1843,  been  in.strumental  in  maintaining  a  school  for  the 
Indian  children.  In  Crystal  Lake  townshij)  a  school-district 
was  organized  according  to  law.  The  district  included  the 
whoh'  north  half  of  tlie  county.  A  school,  and  a  good  (me, 
was  taught  by  a  Miss  Smith,  in  a  chiim-shanty  that  was  on  the 
land  that  subsei[uently  becanie  the  i)roperty  of  J.  (Ti]lesj)ie. 
This  was  the  first  regular  district-school  taught  in  any  ]x)rtion 
of  Hennepin  county  proi)er,  (mtside  the  village  of  Minneapolis. 

Our  new  governor,  AV.  A.  (lorman,  named  Thursday,  the 
22d  day  of  December,  this  year,  for  thanksgiving.  All  tlie 
different  religious  denominations  in  Minneapolis  joined,  and 
attended  Rev.  J,  C.  Whitney's  church,  when  Mr.  Whitney 
gav«^  us  one  of  the  best  and  most  practical  sermons  delivered 
before  or  since  in  this  city.  At  that  time  there  were  sevei'al 
different  denominatitHis  of  Christians  in  the  village,  but  only 
one  resident  pastor,  Mr.  Whitney.  It  is  true  we  occasionally 
had  })reaching.  Rev.  G.  H.  Pond  had  the  use  of  my  parlors 
for  holding  nieetings  ;  so  had  other  i)reachers  the  same  priv- 
ilege ;  Init  at  the  close  of  the  year  there  was  julyone  resident 
clergyman  in  Minneapolis. 

There  were  six  deaths  in  Hennepin  county  in  1853  :  Mrs, 
Colonel  Case  in  the  spring,  another  lady  of  consumption, 
and  four  infants. 


m- 


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jBpnnmncwa 


-M 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


BUSINESS  SITUATION   IN  ST.   ANTHONY  JANUARY   IST,    1854. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1854  St.  Anthony  contained 
the  following  meronntile  establishments  :  D.  Baldwin  &  Son, 
James  A.  Lennon,  S.  Stanchfield,  R.  Ball,  Richard  Fewer, 
Moulton,  Walker  &  Gardner,  N.  Hendry,  N.  Holder,  D.  E. 
E.  P.  Mills,  Holmes  k  Toser,  J.  G.  Lennon,  A.  King,  R.  P. 
Ul)ton,  James  C.  Tuffts,  Henry  Reynolds,  Dr.  H.  W. 
Whitemore,  John  Holland  &  Joseph  McAlpin,  Z.  E.  B. 
Nash  &  Edgar  Nasli.  There  were  two  cabinet  maniifact^ries, 
Steams  &  Manseur,  and  J.  B.  Ijiichsinger  ;  one  plow  manu- 
facturer, A.  Learning  ;  two  carriage-makers,  Bassett  &  Leh- 
man, and  Francis  Sampson.  There  were  two  fancy  and 
arnamental  establishments,  those  of  Alvin  Stone,  and  B.  E. 
Rlesser  ;  three  sash  and  door  facttn-ies,  by  Orin  Rogers  & 
Co.,  Dumuu  &  Vail,  and  Elias  H.  Connor.  These  gentlemen 
oarrifid  on  an  extensive  coiUracting  and  building  business. 
There  were  two  blacksmiths,  S.  E.  Foster,  and  E.  Lippencott  ; 
one  harness-maker,  William  SpwHier  ;  one  watch-maker  and 
jeweller,  J.  C.  McCain  ;  three  nulliners,  Miss  Henderson, 
Mrs,  Ray,  and  Mrs.  S.  McCain  ;  I'our  ])oot  and  shoe  estab- 
lishments, those  of  John  Wensinger,  J.  R.  McFarland,  S.  C. 
Clark,  and  J.  J.  Kennedy  ;  two  tailors,  J,  Piddington,  located 
in  1H51,  and  A.  Bacon  ;  one  civil  enginet'C  and  surveyor,  C. 

B.  Chapman  ;  one  meat-shop,  by  Samuel  Ross  ;  two  dauguer- 
reotypists,  T.  Elwell,  and  J.  R.  McFarland  ;  eleven  lawyers, 
Isaac  Atwater,  A.  R.  D(xlge,  »[ohn  W.  North,  CI.  Gardner, 
E.  L.  Hall,  AV.  Richardson,  l>.   A.  Secombe,  A.  D.  Shaw,  J 

C.  Shepley,  J.  H.  Trader,  and  S.  M.  Tracy  ;  five  physicians* 


OF  MINNESOTA   AND   ITS   PEOPLE. 


Dr.  Murphy,  Dr.  Anderson,  Dr.  Johnson,  Dr.  Ira  Kiugsley, 
and  Dr.  C  Jodon  ;  two  newspapers,  the  Express,  and  the 
Northwestern  Deniocrat  ;  one  brewery,  by  John  Ortli,  located 
m  1850  ;  one  baker,  (iec).  Wezel ;  three  hotels,  St.  Charles  by 
M.  AV.  Keith,  St.  Anthony  hotel  by  Col.  West,  and  the  T-m- 
perance  ho\ise  by  Samuel  Ross  ;  two  saloons,  by  B.  Cloutier, 
and  lJro^^■n  <fe  Snuley  ;  two  livery-stables,  by  Allen  &  Co.,  and 
Geo.  F.  Brott ;  one  brick-yard,  by  Vanderjiool  &  AV'alds  ;  two 
stornge  and  commission  houses,  by  John  G.  Lennon,  and  J. 
P.  Wilson  ;  one  grist-mill,  by  J.  Shepherd,  lessee  ;  postotHce, 
by  O.  W.  Eice  ;  churches.  Congregational,  Rev.  C.  Secombe  ; 
Episcopal,  Rev.  Mr.  Chamberlain  ;  Baptist,  Rev.  Lyman 
Palmer  ;  P'-f^e-Will  Baptist,  Rev.  C.  G.  Ames  ;  Catholic,  Rev. 
Mr.  Ledon  ;  Methodist,  Rev.  Mr.  Collins  ;  T'^niversalist,  Rev. 
E.  A.  HodsoTi  ;  one  Masonic  lodge,  Hon.  C.  F.  Stearns,  W. 
Master  ;  one  Odd-Fellows  John  G.  Potts  lodge  No.  3,  installed 
May  29,  1851,  O.  Foote,  N.  G.,  E.  Patch,  V.  G.,  G.  B.  Dutton, 
secretary,  and  E.  B.  Ramsdell,  treasurer.  In  addition  to  the 
above,  the  extensive  saw-mills  empleyed  much  capital,  and  a 
great  many  hands,  in  its  operations.  Under  all  the  happy 
circumstances  surrounding  the  village  the  citizens  hnd  reaf;on 
to  believe  that  the  year  1854  w^ould  prove  a  prosperous  one 
for  them. 

The  first  postotiice  established  in  Hennei)in  county,  outside 
of  Fort  Snelling,  was  at  Bloomington,  the  1st  of  .January, 
1854  Joseph  Dean  was  appointed  j)<)stmaster.  The  youthful 
Minneapolis  was  scarcely  behind  Bloon  i  ngton,  for  a  day  or 
two  later  a  postoffice  was  given  us,  withl>r.  H,  Fletcher,  post- 
master. There  was  no  mail  delivered  here  ;  it  was  'lihtribu- 
ted  in  the  St.  Anthony  otfice,  and  usually  was  gat  luTcd  by 
Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  who  had,  with  Dr.  Murphy,  an  otfice  in  St. 
Anthony,  and  on  his  return  home  at  noon,  he  would  carry  the 
few  letters  in  the  crown  of  his  hat. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners,  on  the 
first  Monday  in  Jjuuiary,  a  settlement  with  the  treasurer  and 
collector  was  effected.  The  whole  county  debt  at  this  time 
was  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars,  and  county  orders 
were  worth  one  hundred  cents  on  the  dollar.  The  greatest 
call  made  upon  the  county  treasiiry  was  for  money  to  build 
roads  and  bridges.    The  pioneers  had,  in  a  measure,  previously 


mi 


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'■f\ 


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226 


PEHHOXAl,    « ECOLIiECTIOXS 


taken  money  out  of  their  pockets  and  l)uilt  ninny  of  the  nec- 
essary roads  and  bridges,  so  tlie  di-ain  f  I'om  the  treasury  was  not 
so  great  as  it  would  liave  I)«m>ii  had  not  tliese  roads  and  bridges 
beeni)revit)usly  built.  They  had  to  act  in  the  same  way,  that 
schools  and  ehurcheH  might  be  built  and  maintained.  There 
are  so  many  ways  that  the  j)ioneer  is  obliged  to  contribute  to 
develop  the  resources  of  a  new  country  it  is  pretty  safe  to  say 
that  his  purse  is  nlways  a  lean  one. 

The  territorial  legislature  convened  at  St.  Paul  on  the  4th. 
Joshua  Draper  of  Minneapolis,  through  the  influence  of  Dr. 
H.  Fletcher,  the  Hennepin  county  member  of  the  house, 
received  the  appointment  of  fireman,  and  Geo.  W.  Prescott, 
through  Messrs.  Ganbier  and  Plummer,  was  appointed  clerk 
of  the  house.  This  api)ointment  of  Mr.  Draper  was  the  first 
one  given  by  the  legislature  to  a  citizen  of  Hennepin  county. 

On  Thursday  the  19th  day  of  January*  1854,  Eev.  J.  C. 
Whitney  was  installed  pastor  of  the  Pi'esl)yterian  church  in 
Minneapolis,  Rev.  G.  H.  Pond  jjresided.  liev.  Mr.  Rogers, 
of  the  Baptist  cliurch,  St.  Anthony,  offered  i)rayer.  Rev.  C. 
Secombe  preached  the  sermon.  Rev.  H.  M.  Nichols  gave 
the  charge  to  the  pastor  ;  Rev.  E.  D.  Neill,  the  c*liarge  to  the 
people.  The  interesting  exercises  closed  with  the  benediction 
by  the  pastor.  This  was  the  first  installation  of  a  minister  of 
the  gospel  of  any  denomination  in  Minneapolis. 
THE  WINNEBAGO  TREATY. 

Aside  from  the  liistorical  fact,  perhaps  in  jiistice  to  those 
who  have  passed  away,  mention  should  ))e  made  of  a  public 
meeting  held  in  Minneapolis,  January  21st,  1854,  in  opposition 
to  the  treaty  with  the  AVinnebagoes  pending  in  the  United 
States  senate,  the  contivmation  of  whidx  would  make  the 
Indians  of  that  nation  near  neighbors  of  the  citizens  of  Hen- 
nepin county.  Charles  Hoag  was  called  to  the  chair,  and 
John  H.  Stevens  was  appointed  secretary.  The  object  of  the 
meeting  being  stated,  Dr.  H.  Fletcher,  our  member  of  the 
legislature,  addressed  the  meeting.  He  had  secured  the 
cooperation  of  Hon.  .loseph  R.  lirown,  Hon.  Wm.  H.  Nobles, 
the  other  two  members  of  the  sixth  council  district  in  the 
legislature,  against  the  measure.  Messrs.  C.  F.  Stearns,  H. 
S.  Plummer,  and  Cejdias  Gardner,  membei*s  from  St.  Anthony 
representing  the  third  council  district,  had  also  heartily  co- 


OF    MINNESOTA  AND  ITS   PEOPLE, 


m 


eperated  with  th(!m  in  opposition  to  the  treaty.  Messrs.  S. 
Baldwin  Olinstead,  president  of  the  council,  with  Messrs. 
William  Noot,  Wm.  A.  Davis,  and  Louis  Bartlett,  of  the 
second  council  district,  St.  Paul,  had  aided  in  opjwsition  to 
the  treaty.  Furtlier  remarks  were  made  by  Messrs.  Hoag, 
Harmon,  D.  M.  Hanson,  and  Hoyt,  when  a  series  of  resolu- 
tions was  presented  to  the  meeting  by  John  H.  Stevens, 
seconded  by  D.  M.  Hanson,  and  were  \inai.  imously  adopted. 
Suffice  to  say,  that  owing  to  the  efforts  made  by  the  pioneers 
of  Minneapolis,  the  treaty  failed. 

Considerable  uneasiness  developed  among  the  settlers  on 
the  late  military  reservation,  early  in  January,  at  the  non- 
action of  congress  in  relation  to  a  bill  which  had,  early  in  the 
session,  been  introduced  by  Hon.  K.  C.  Malony,  of  Illinois, 
securing  to  them  the  right  of  preemption  to  these  lands. 
Messrs.  Franklin  Steele,  Dr,  A.  E.  Ames,  and  Edward  Mur- 
phy, proceeded  to  Washington  to  render  such  aid  as  they 
could  to  our  delegate  in  Congress,  and  otlier  friends  in  that 
body,  to  secure  the  early  passage  of  the  bill.  These  gentle- 
men remained  in  Washington  all  winter,  at  their  own  expense, 
and  labored  faithfully  in  the  interest  of  the  settlers.  They 
secxired  the  ordering  of  an  innnediate  survey  of  the  land  by 
the  government  Up  to  the  early  summer  of  1854,  when  the 
survey  did  take  place,  all  the  lines  between  the  settlers  wen* 
arbitrary.  These  lines  had  been  brought  from  over  the  Mis- 
sissippi river,  by  the  early  local  land-surveyors,  Messrs,  W. 
R.  Marshall,  C.  W.  Christmas,  and  C.  B,  Chapman,  which 
proved,  when  the  goverinnent  had  comi)leted  the  regular 
survey,  to  be  unusually  accurate.  I  cannot  remember,  at  this 
time,  of  it  being  necessary  to  altera  single  boundary  line 
between  the  settlers. 

Dr.  Fletcher  secured  the  passage  of  a  bill,  in  January, 
through  the  territorial  legislature,  confirming  llic  action  of 
the  county  coniniisHioners  for  the  Hennepin  court-house,  anil 
other  county  buildings.  This  site  was  on  the  liigh  hill  that 
then  existed  immediately  in  the  rear  of  the  piesent  Nicollet 
house.  It  embraced  alxmt  five  acres  of  land,  and  overtopped 
the  whole  country.  The  surface  was  covered  with  beautiful 
oak  trees,  known  in  the  early  days  as  oak-openings.  The 
laud  was  owned  jointly  by  John  Jackins  and  John  H.  Stevens, 


ii 


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228 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


the  two  entering  into  heavy  bonds  with  the  oonnty  commis- 
sioners to  give  n  warrantee  deed  of  the  hind  as  soon  as 
they  had  secured  a  good  title  to  it  from  the  government, 
free  of  charge.  This  hnid  is  worth  to-day  several  millions  of 
dollars,  but  in  cousecinence  of  the  rivalry  between  what  was 
then  called  upper  and  h)W(>r  Minneapolis,  in  1856  the  site  was 
changed  to  one  in  the  brush  on  Dr.  Annas'  land,  thus  releasing 
Messrs.  Jackins  and  Stevens  from  their  obligations  to  the 
county  ;  but  they  never  made  anything  out  of  the  land, 
and  the  county  was  greatly  the  loser  in  the  change.  There 
was,  however,  two  good  resiilts  from  the  rem(^val  of  the  site 
for  the  court-house,  one  of  which  does  not  concern  the  public  ; 
the  other  was  the  annexation  of  the  fractional  township  in 
which  St.  Anthony  was  situated,  to  Hennepin  county.  In 
order  that  the  measure  might  be  carried  through  the  legisla- 
ture, members  of  that  body  demanded  in  return  for  their  votes 
for  the  removal  of  the  site  of  the  court-house,  the  annexation 
of  St.  Anthony  to  Hennepin  county. 

Another  and  more  important  site-question  occurred  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river.  It  was  demonstrated  that  if  St. 
Anthony  retained  the  site  for  the  University,  more  land  must 
be  secured  for  that  purpose.  The  regents  had  no  money  to 
help  forward  any  beneficial  movement  for  the  University. 
AVhen  it  was  necessary  that  funds  should  be  raised,  they  were 
obliged  to  put  their  hands  in  their  pockets  and  donate  it  in 
such  sums  as  the  exigency  of  the  case  demanded.  Mr.  Steele, 
president  of  the  Board,  contributed  thousands  of  dollars  for 
the  good  work,  for  which  he  never  expected,  wished,  or 
received,  reimbursement.  Judge  Atwater,  Judge  Meeker, 
and  other  regents  residing  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Falls, 
also  paid  large  sums  for  the  same  purpose.  The  original  site 
was  exchanged  for  the  present  beautiful  one.  Calvin  A. 
Tuttle  and  others  aided  much.  The  land  that  Mr.  Tuttle 
gave  for  this  object  is  to-day  worth  a  large  sum  of  money, 
and  probably  there  are  few  of  the  present  citizens  around  the 
Falls  who  have  any  conception  of  the  sacrifices  these  earnest 
men  made,  so  long  ago,  in  order  that  the  University  of  Min- 
nesota should  not  be  removed  from  their  midst.  It  is  true 
that  they  never  received  uny  credit  for  what  they  did  ;  their 
noble  efforts  have  long  since  been  forgotten  by  the  older 


OF  MINNESOTA    AND  ITS   PEOPLE. 


229 


people  of  the  state  ;  the  more  recent  pojiulatiou  never  knew 
it ;  while  thonsands  who  nre  now  so  nnich  ])enefitted  b}'  the 
miiversity  have  never  fonnd  it  ont.     In  order  to  check  the 
strong  sentiment  i)revniling  in  the  territory,  that  the  nniver- 
sity  should  he  removed  to  some  point  considerably  south  of 
the  Miiniesota  river,  the  regents  were  obliged  to  force  meas- 
ures  in   the   connnencement   of  the   buildings,   so   that  St. 
Anthony  woidd  have  a  charter-right  to  hold  it  for  nil  time  to 
come.     When  the  distribution  of  the  sites  for  the  three  gnvit 
public  institutions,  the  capitol,  the  state  university,  and  the 
sttite  penitentiary,  took  place,  southern  Minnesota  belonged  to 
the  Indians,  as  did  the  whole  of  the  territory  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi.    After  the  Indian  lands  were  opened  tt)  settlers,  tliey 
were  occupied  so  rapidly  it  was  evident  that  in  the  near 
future  those  lands  woxild  contain  a  large  majority  of  voters  ; 
that  they  conld  control  a  majority  in  the  legislature,  and 
being  left  out  in  the  cold  when  the  three  })rincipHl  i)lum8 
were  di.stributed,  it  was  but  luitural  they  should  wish  to  have 
a  new  i\on\,  so  that  the  recently-ceded  territory  should  be  the 
recipient  of  one  or  more  of  these  public  favors.     The  regents 
were  continually  importuned  by  those  residing  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Falls,  who  were  really  fearful  that  the  uni- 
versity would  he  removed  from  St.  Anthony  to  a  niore  central 
place  further  south,  to  commence  the  buildings  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  to  take  immediate  steps  in  every  jMJssible  way 
to  silence  home  complaints  at  what  was  called  non-action  of 
the  board  of  regents  in  making  the  n(H'essary  i)reparavions  for 
the  erection  of  permanent  buildings.     Up  to  this  tiaie  the 
bountiful  grant  of  land  by  congress  in  the  interest  of  the 
university  had  not  been  selecteil  by  the  regents  from  the 
different  sections  of  the  state,  jjrincipally  for  the  reason  that 
the  public  lands  had  not  been  surveyed  by  the  government, 
so  that  selections  could  be  made  in  a  proper  maimer.     The 
time  had  now  come  for  action  on  the  part  of  the  ivgents. 
They  had  by  law  the  right  to  si-lect  any  unclaimed  land, 
timber  or  prairie,  for  the  benefit  of  the  university.     As  a 
member  of  the  board  I  was  appointed,  at  the  January  meet- 
ing, to  proceed  at  once  to  Hum  river  and  select  some  ten 
thousand  acres  of  pine  land  for  the  university.     I  was  further 
directed  to  secure  such  assistance  as  would  be  necessary  for 


Til 


ii. 
'4) 


230 


PKBHOXAL    ItECOLI-ICCl'lONH 


this  purj)()si'.  The  Services  of  Captiiin  John  Rollins,  and  his 
ni'phew  Simon  B.  Bt'tin,  were  obtained,  and  mainly  to  the 
KUi)erior  knowledge  of  those  two  gentlemen,  in  relation  to  the 
best  timber  on  pine  land,  was  tlie  nnivei'sity  indebted  for  the 
choicest  traet  that  Inmnded  tlui  banks  of  Rnm  river  and  its 
tributaries.  It  was  not  tin*  most  i)leasant  seHS(m  of  the  year 
to  make  the  selection,  Init  mid-winter  was  more  favorable 
tlnin  spring,  find  as  the  land  had  been  surveyed,  and' 
would  so«)n  1m^  in  market,  if  we  obtained  the  best  and  most 
convenient  lands  to  tlu»  river,  the  selections  had  to  be  made 
before  other  j)arties  laid  claim  to  it.  We  tlevoted  two  months 
of  the  winter  of  1854:  to  securing  these  lands,  i)aying  all 
attendant  expenses,  withoiit  a  thought  of  charging  the  board 
of  regents,  or.tho  state,  for  siich  work. 

The  first  Congregational  church  was  dedicated  in  St. 
Anthony  on  the  15th  of  February.  Rev.  S.  Hall  was  master 
of  the  ceremonies.  Messi-s.  Galpin  of  Excelsior,  Twitchell  of 
Rum  river  (now  Anoka),  Rice,  and  Secombe,  all  Congrega- 
tional ministers,  and  Rev.  J.  C.  Whitney,  the  Presbyterian 
pastor  of  Minneapolis,  were  present.  This  was  the  first  Con- 
gregational church  dedicated  in  what  is  now  Minnesota. 

The  ice  in  the  river  was  thin  this  winter.  Several  accidents 
of  a  serious,  but  not  fatal,  character  occurred.  Among  the 
victims  was  John  Chambers,  who  lived  on  and  preempted  a 
portion  of  the  present  Brownsdale  farm.  In  cwssing  the 
river  he  fell  through  the  ice,  and  was  barely  rescued  alive. 
It  is  said  he  received  injuries  from  which  he  never  recovered. 

The  ferry  over  the  river  commenced  r\inning  March  25. 

St.  Anthony's  early  friend,  Wm.  R.  Marshall,  was  married 
in  Utica,  New  York,  on  the  22d  of  March,  to  Miss  Abby  B., 
daughter  of  George  Langford,  Esq. 

The  third  term  of  the  district  court  of  Hennejjin  county 
commenced  April  3,  Judge  Chattield  presiding.  R.  1*.  Russell, 
who  had  recently  moved  over  from  the  St.  Autliony  side,  was 
foreman  of  the  grand  jury.  The  jury  list  contained  the  names 
of  prominent  fanners  in  what  would  now  be  three  counties, 
viz. :  Hennepin,  Carver,  and  Sibley.  The  court  was  in  session 
for  three  weeks,  principally  engaged  in  trying  criminal  cases. 
The  first  civil  suit  tried  in  Hennepin  county,  the  only  civil 
ease  of  moment,   was  against  Edward  Murphy  by  Hiram 


4 


OF   MINNESOTA  AND   ITH   I'KOrLE. 


sai 


ii 


Biirliijgham,  to  test  the  fence  qiiestioii,  which  iu  the  (^Jirly 
(lays  of  the  territory  wnH  the  source  of  frtnuieiit  litigation 
among  the  farmers.  Ah  this  was  the  first  civil  suit  tried  in 
the  county,  and  a  somewhat  novel  one,  I  will  give  the  jjointa 
in  the  case.  Mr.  Burlingham  had  a  field  of  some  forty  acres 
of  corn.  Mr.  Mur{)hy  had  a  large  heril  of  cattle,  which  he 
had  j)iirchased  in  Illinois.  This  »tock  fi-ecjuently  visited  Mr. 
Burlingham's  corn-fteld,  and  (himaged  the  growing  grain  to 
such  an  extent  laal  it  was  not  worth  harvesting.  Mr.  IJixr- 
lingham  sued  Mr.  Murphy,  the  owner  -of  the  stock  that  had 
destroyed  his  crop,  for  its  value.  Mr.  Muri)hy  contended 
that,  as  Mr.  Burlingham's  coni-field  wjis  not  feni-ed,  he  could 
not  be  held  responsible  for  the  damage  his  stock  had  inflicted 
on  it.  The  judge  decided  that  Mr.  jVIuri)liy  must  j)ay  for  the 
loss  of  the  corn  ;  that  in  the  absence  of  statute  law,  in  regaid 
to  fences,  a  person  could  i)lant  corn  or  other  grain,  without 
fencing  it,  and  if  it  was  destroyed  by  a  neighbor's  stock  the 
owner  of  the  stock  would  have  to  i)ay  the  damage. 

The  first  conviction  in  the  district  court  was  against  P. 
Gorman,  of  Eden  Prairie,  who  was  found  guilty  of  an  assaidt 
on  the  i)ers(m  of  Samuel  Mitchell,  a  farmer  of  that  township. 
If  I  remember  cori'ectly,  because  of  its  being  the  first  convic- 
tion, and  not  a  very  serious  offense,  the  sentence  against  Mr. 
Gorman  was  suspended. 

During  the  session  the  new  court-house,  which  I  had  built 
the  previous  year,  was  destx'oyiul  by  fire,  which  was  the  first 
store  destroyed  by  fire  in  Miinieaijolis. 

A  HASTY   BUT   llAl'l'Y   MAUKIAGH   IN   THE  EAllLY   DAY8. 

Some  of  the  jurymen,  from  remote  part  .4  of  the  county,  who 
attended  the  session  of  the  court,  were  desirous  of  obtaining 
wives  before  their  return  home.  One  of  them,  John  Maun, 
who  had  a  valuable  claim  on  the  banks  of  the  Minnesota  x-iver, 
just  below  Chaska,  had  l)i'en  a  soldier  at  Fox't  Sxielling.  He 
was  a  thrifty  man,  and  was  born  ixi  Germany.  He  wexxt  to 
St.  Paxxl,  one  Sunday,  to  fixxd  oixt  if  there  were  any  Germaxi 
girls  ctmiiug  into  the  country.  He  fortunately  happened  on 
the  levee  during  the  landing  of  a  down-river  boat  that  con- 
tained maxiy  Germaxi  families  who  were  seeking  new  homes 
iu  the  territory.  In  watching  them  land,  Johxi  esjjied  a 
comely,  healthy-looking  girl  in  a  group  of  women.     "There," 


1! 


m 

m 


1 

232 


I'EHSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS 


lie  waid  to  an  ncciunintnnce  who  accom])nnio<l  liim  to  see  the 
approaching  Hteanier  land,  "is  my  wife."  He  immediately 
introduced  hiniHelf  to  the  parents  of  the  girl,  and  to  the  girl. 
He  was  thirty  years  old,  had  a  good  farm,  and  n  comfortable 
house  ;  had  cows  and  oxen,  and  a  reasonable  amount  of  money. 
He  had  in  fact  everything  to  make  him  comfortable  except  a 
wife.  He  wanted  the  girl  before  him  for  that.  He  j)roseciited 
his  suit  with  much  eai-nestness.  Fortunately  a  member  of  a 
promiiH'nt  German  family,  who  liad  resided  in  St.  ]'aul  for 
several  years,  made  his  appearance  on  the  landing  in  the  nick 
of  time,  who  knew  the  })arents  of  the  girl  in  the  fatherland, 
Bitul  knew  John  in  this  country  equally  well,  and  he  assured 
the  stirprised  immigrants  that  John  was  all  that  he  represented 
himself  to  be,  and  that  the  jjareuts  who  secured  him  for  a 
son-in-law  would  never  regret  it.  The  result  was,  that  early 
on  Monday  morning  John  appeared  in  court  with  his  new 
wife.  He  was  readily  excused  from  further  service  on  the 
jury.  He  immediately  i)roceeded  to  his  farm,  and  from  that 
eventful  morning  that  he  saw  his  wife  land  in  St.  Paul  to  this 
day,  he  never  regretted  his  hasty  marriage.  He  and  his  wife 
are  among  the  most  respected  pioneers  of  Carver  county. 
They  have  prospered,  and  John  believes  in  short  courtships. 

Congress  passed,  during  the  last  days  of  March,  a  bill  pro- 
viding for  a  United  States  land-office  in  Minneapolis.  Upon 
its  ai)j)i'oval  by  the  President,  that  personage  appointed  R.  P. 
Rxissell  receiver,  and  M.  L.  Olds  register.  Both  appointments 
were  })opular.  Mr.  Olds  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Olds,  so  long  a 
member  of  congress  from  Ohio.  His  son  was  a  lawyer  of 
much  promise.  On  retiring  from  the  land-office  he  became  a 
divinity  student,  and  »it  the  time  of  his  death,  a  few  years 
since,  he  held  a  high  tnist  in  the  Episcopal  church.  Like 
most  of  the  early  vlei'gyj'i^i^  of  that  church  in  the  territory, 
Rev.  Dr.  Olds  was  a  great  worker. 

Messrs.  Geo.  E.  Huy  and  R.  P.  Russell  had  erected  a  large 
frame  building  at  the  corner  of  Eight  avenue  south  and 
Washington  avenue  for  the  accommodation  of  the  new  land- 
office.  This  was  the  most  commodious  and  expensive  building 
that  had  been  erected  in  Minneapolis  iip  to  that  time.  In 
addition  to  numerous  offices,  it  contained  large  halls. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


SURVEY  OF  THE  VILLAOE  IX  EIGHTEEN  HUNDllED  AND  FIFTY-FOUK. 

When  I  think  it  wastuily  thirty-fivo  ypars  ago  tlint  I  decidi'd 
to  survey  a  portion  of  my  ferry-farm  at  tlie  Falls  of  St.  Anthony 
into  village  building-lots,  the  transformations  I  have  witnessed 
seem  like  a  fairy  tale,  a  magic  vision.  From  the  virgin  prairie 
to  a  solid  city  of  two  hundred  thousand  persons,  te(>ming  with 
life,  fnll  of  energy,  ambition  and  hope,  this  marvelous  western 
development  bids  fair  to  rival  oriental  sj)lendor. 

Finding  it  imjxjssible  to  withstand  the  constant  importuni- 
ties for  building-lots  on  the  ferry-farm,  and  to  i)revent  the 
lower  ])ortions  of  the  town  from  taking  the  lead  in  various 
enterprises  that  were  near  at  hand,  I  determined  to  siirvey  a 
portion  of  the  farm  into  building-lots  ;  conseipiently  I  secured 
the  services  of  Cha.s.  W.  Christmas  t«)  survey  and  i)lat  over 
one  hundred  acres  into  villag«'  lots.  ]  d(>termined  at  first  to 
make  the  streets  eighty  feet  wide,  the  aveniies  one  hundred 
feet  wide,  the  I  its  to  contain  as  neai-  as  might  be  a  (piarter  of 
an  acre  of  lan«l  ea«'h,  tlie  blocks  tt>  consist  of  ten  lots  each, 
makingtwo  and  a  half  acres  to  each  block.  As  no  oneoxpected 
at  that  time  that  much  of  the  land  back  of  the  first  })lateau 
would  ever  be  used  for  any  other  than  agricultural  purposes, 
after  ccmsulting  with  all  the  claimants  \i[)  and  down  the  river 
immediately  adjoining  my  land,  we  concluded  there  should  l)e 
one  avenue  laid  out  nnniing  parallel  with  the  river,  wliich 
should  l)e  the  basis  for  laying  out  the  town  ;  tliat  tlie  name  of 
this  avenue  should  1>e  Washington.  This  de<'ision  with  ri'gard 
to  laying  out  the  princiiwil  avenue  in  such  a  nuinner  as  to  run 
parallel  with  the  river  as  the  foundation  for  laying  out  all  the 


284 


rEBM>\'AL    UECOLLKCTKJNS 


other  land  into  8treet«>.  avennes,  lots  and  blcwks,  whh  a  fjjreat 
error,  an  error  that,  hml  my  foresij^ht  Imh'ii  mh  ^ood  as  my 
present  si^ht.  wouh!  never  have  «K-eiirred.  What  I  shoidd  have 
(h)ne,  was  U>  liave  irnul  no  attention  to  tlie  windings  of  the 
river,  but  ran  the  streete  directly  east  and  west,  and  the 
avenues  tlirectly  north  and  south.  As  all  the  land  subse- 
(lumtly  laid  out  and  platteti  in  Minnea{)oliH  had  for  a  starting- 
|M)int  my  first  sur\ey.  it  made  me  responsible  for  all  tinu'  for 
this  unfortunate  early  misitake.  Pretty  as  the  eity  is,  it 
w<mld  have  presented  a  far  U'tter  apfwaraiu'e  had  the  points 
of  comijass  In^en  follovctl  rather  than  the  windings  of  the 
river.  The  only  city  I  had  live<l  in,  previous  to  coming  to 
Minne.sot<i,  was  New  Orleans,  and  I  admired  the  English  part 
so  much  more  than  the  old  French  {Kirtictn  of  it,  that  I  decided 
t^)  follow,  as  far  a  practicable,  the  former  in  laying  «mt  and 
jWatting  Minneaix»lLt;  proper.  Most,  if  not  all  the  cities  on 
the  banks  of  the  Mis.si!j»ippi  anil  its  tributaries,  at  this  time, 
had  the  princij»al  jiart  of  the  business  confined  to  i)retty  near 
th(»  8teandx>at  landimcsi.  The  idea  was  general  that  the  stores 
and  shops  would  lie  close  to  the  banks  of  the  river;  and  so 
they  were  at  first  :  none  coultl  l»e  prevailed  upon  to  invest 
very  far  back  from  the  river.  No  one  ever  8Uj)posed  at  that 
time  that  Minnen|jr»lis  would  expand  into  a  city  of  more  than 
fifty  or  sixty  thousand  inhabitants,  and  many  looked  upon 
my  platting  the  strw-Ls  and  avenues  so  wide  as  a  great  waste 
of  land  ;  and  «»n  f>ome  accounts  I  am  rather  inclined  to  th.ink 
it  would  have  Jieen  preferable  to  have  reduced  the  width  of 
the  avenues  an<l  street**  aliont  twenty  feet  ;  especially  when 
we  take  into  acc<»uiit  the  great  cost  of  paving,  and  (jther  nec- 
essary t'.\i)ense  in  keeping  them  in  repair. 

XAMIXO  THE  STREETS  .VXD  AVENUES. 

In  naming  the  avenut^  I  i-ommenced  with  Hennepin,  calling 
it  after  the  <liHc«jvervr  of  the  Falls  ;  then  Nicollet,  after  the 
French  explt>rer  :  then  Minnetonka,  from  the  lake  by  that 
"  name.  All  the  <»ther  avenues,  except  Second  avenue  south, 
were  named  after  the  territories,  Oregon,  Utah,  California, 
Kansas,  Nebra*;ka.  and  so  on.  Secoiiu  avenue  south  I  named 
after  my  wife,  calling  it  Helen,  in  hont)r  of  the  first  wonum 
who  permanently  ret-idetl  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Falls.  The 
streets  were  numberetl  the  same  as  they  are  to-day.     The  city 


OI'"    .MINNKSOI'V    AMI    IIS    I'KUI'I.K. 


285 


oonncil  chnugtMl  tlu'  names  of  tlif  iivcmu's,  tliun  Idottin^  out 
my  nmuy  old  Imul-iiwuks  ;  hut  jirobjibly  it  is  iiuicli  nu>i('  con- 
venient t(»  say  "First  avenue  soutii,"  instead  of  Minnetonkii 
ftvenue,  the  old  name  I  iuid  ^iveii  to  it.  I  directed  Mr. 
Christmas  to  survey  an  alley  throiii^h  each  Mock.  'I'he  sur- 
vey was  completed  May  1st,  1H.')4.  Several  lotw  weie  imme- 
diat«'ly  disptised  of  I  should  .say  rather  j^Mven  away,  provided 
the  recipient  would  build  a  luuise  thereon  not  to  cost  h'ss 
than  three  liundred  dollars.  As  no  deeds  would  lie  lawful, 
none  were  jj;iven  ,  luither  wen  inemoran(hi  or  articles  of 
.if^roement  sij^ned.  I  trusted  them,  and  they  trusted  me,  and 
when  the  proper  time  came,  \hev  received  deeds  for  their 
laud.  So  it  was  with  all  others  who  had  ol>tained  and  settled 
<m  lots  l)eh)n^in,u;  to  preemptors,  before  the  land  was  entered. 

Tlu»  first  lot  selected  on  the  ferry-farm  chum,  after  it  wa.s 
laid  out  and  i  "  itted,  was  by  Isaac  I.  [..ewis.  It  was  the  present 
site  of  Harlow  W.  Gale's  market-house,  corner  of  Hennej)in 
avenue  and  First  street.  Mr.  Lewis  erected  u  large  dwelling 
and  store  on  it,  and  in  company  with  Mr.  Bickford  opened  the 
largest  stock  of  goods,  outside  of  Fort  Knelling,  in  Hennepin 
county.  E.  H.  J)avie  and  J(<hn  Califf  followed  Mr.  Lewis. 
They  also  selected  a  lot  on  Hennepin  av(niue,  built  (m  it,  and 
opened  a  hardware-  and  stove-store,  which  was  the  first  one  in 
the  county.  Levi  Brown,  from  Maine,  established  a  black- 
smith shop  on  th"  -'^»  of  the  present  Northwestern  bank 
building.  Tum  v>as  the  first  blacksmith  shop  in  Minneajiolis, 
but  not  in  Hennepin  ccmnty  ;  there  was  omi  at  the  Minnetonka 
mills  a  year  l)efore  ;  and  Victor  Chat«d  had  for  years  been  the 
Indian  blacksmith  at  Oak  Grove  mission,  now  Bloomington. 

James  F.  Bradley,  from  New  England,  opened  a  larg«' 
carriage  factory  at  Murphy's  ferry  in  the  lower  town.  This 
was  the  first  carriage  factory  in  HtMuiepiu  county.  Hoyt  and 
Van  Nest  brought  into  ^liinieapolis  an  extensive  livery  and 
established  stables  on  Third  street  lu'ar  Third  av(>nue  south. 
This  was  the  first  livery -stable  in  Hennepin  county.  ' 

Geo.  E.  Huy,  from  the  MinneajMilis  mill  company,  opened 
a  large  lumber-yard  between  the  river  and  Wa.shington  avenue 
on  Eighth  aventie  south.  This  was  the  first  lumber-yard  in 
Minneapolis.  Geo.  M.  Bertram,  president  of  the  Excelsior 
colony,   moved   into  Minnea[)olis   and  ojjened  an  extensive 


m» 


It 


230 


I'EHHON  A  I.    R  RCOLLEC I  IONS 


nierchnnt-tailorinjj;  csljihlishinoiit  over  Mr.  T^fwis'  store.  This 
WHK  the  first  tnilor-slidi)  in  ^limifiipolis.  Z.  M.  Brown  nioved 
over  from  St.  Aiitliouy  Jind,  nt  the  lower  ferry,  Btnrted  the 
first  tin-sli'  ti  in  MinneHjJolis.  Mrs.  A.  Morrison  acronipanied 
lier  huslwiiul,  Adam  ^lorrison,  out  from  New  York,  and 
ojK'ned  the  first  millinery  shop  in  Minneapolis.  She  selected 
(Jataraet,  now  Sixth  avenue  sonth,  as  her  i)hice  of  business, 
A  few  weeks  later.  Miss  liertrani,  from  New  York  city,  estab- 
lish(>d  a  ladi(^s'  dress-miikinj,'  house  at  Mr.  Hoar's. 

A.  K.  ilMrtwell  came  over  from  St.  Anthony  and  opened  an 
insurance  office,  the  tlrsl  of  the  kind  in  the  county.  John  M; 
AnderHon,  so  lon^  in  the  express  business  in  this  city,  came 
out  from  New  York  and  brought  with  him  a  choice  assortment 
of  books  and  stationery,  which  he  offered  for  sale  in  the 
Craft's  building,',  the  first  store  of  th<'  kind  in  the  county. 

John  Morrison,  also  from  New  York,  came  out  with  Mr. 
And(U'son,  and  opened  the  tii'st  ji^un-  ami  locksmith-shop  in  the 
county,  on  Cataract  stre«'t.  Wm.  G.  Murphy  opened  the  first 
harness-  and  saddle-shop  in  the  city,  on  Hennepin  avenue. 

Messrs.  Geo.  N.  Propper  and  Carlos  AVilcox  opened,  in  the 
jLtovernment  land-ollice  building,  a  loan  and  land  agency,  the 
first  in  the  city. 

Our  ])Ostof!ice  fit  this  time  (spring  of  1854  )  was  in  a  store 
that  the  ijostmaslcr,  Dr.  H.  Flettdier,  had  built  near  the  bank 
of  the  river,  cm  what  is  now  High  street. 

In  addition  to  the  imj^rovements  jdready  mentioned,  but 
later  in  the  season,  W.  D.  Babbitt  moved  up  from  Illinois  and 
ojjened  a  large  stock  of  goods  for  sale  in  a  ])ortion  of  tlu*^ 
Craft's  building.  Samuel  Hidden,  a  merchant  from  New- 
Hampshire,  established  a  business  on  Nicollet  avenue,  near 
First  street,  which  was  for  years  known  iis  (he  Boston  store. 
Alxmt  tlu'  same  time  Warren  Sanij)son,  from  Michigan, 
stH'ured  a  lot  on  Hennepin  avenue  joining  Messrs.  Davie  and 
Califf,  and  opmii'd  a  dry-go(Hlsston\  In  the  meantinu>  ^lessrs. 
John  Jdckins,  imd  his  brother-in-law,  E.  B.  Wright,  built  on 
the  corner  of  Nicollet  avenue  and  First  street  south,  a  large 
})rick  bliK'k,  the  first  brick  store  erected  in  Minneiij)olis,  and 
the  second  brick  building,  the  first  being  tla^  JJushnell  house, 
erected  by  Anson  Northnip.  Both  buihlings  were  put  up 
under  the  sujK'rvision  of  1).  M.  Coolbaugh,  a  nujster-builder. 


masBsm 


^yw.i 


OF    MINNESOTA   AND    ITS   J'EOPLK 


237 


Anothor  livcry-stdblo  was  ojh'iumI  hy  Isanc  W.  Do  Ivjiy,  on 
Tliinl  strt'f't,  find  unotlun'  hhicksinitli  sliojj  in  the  rear  of  Tsaac 
I.  Lowis'  store,  by  Krastus  Jordan.  Tliis  hIio])  was  built  on 
tlie  site  of  the  stabU's  and  barnyard  of  tlie  ferry-fann.  Here 
the  first  wheat,  aside;  from  that  on  the  government  and  Indian 
farms,  raised  in  tlie  county,  was  sta<'keil  and  threslied  witli  tlie 
old-fashioned  flail,  under  th<'  direetion  of  EbcMi  Howe.  This 
was  before  tlie  days  of  threshing-machines  in  the  territory, 
and  for  that  matter,  there  was  not  wheat  enough  raised  to  pay 
for  the  importation  of  threshing-machines.  Mr.  Howe's 
winter's  work  was  concentrated  on  those  wheat  stacks. 

On  the  2iii\\  of  April,  Arthur,  eldest  son  of  my  neighbor 
Calvin  A  Tnttle,  died  at  the  early  age  of  six  years.  He  was  a 
child  of  iinusnal  jjnmiise. 

The  season  was  very  forward,  and  the  weatlier  warm  ;  on 
the  20th  the  mercury  reached  ninety-two  in  the  shade. 

Dr.  A.  E.  Ames  and  the  Minneapolis  delegation,  who  spent 
the  winter  at  the  national  cai)ital,  in  the  interest  of  the  settlers 
on  the  reservation,  retiirned  April  22d.  They  brought  encour- 
aging reports  in  regard  to  the  preemption  law  being  extended 
to  the  settlers  on  those  lands. 

Mr.  Godfrey  commenced  important  improvements  on  his 
mills  this  sjjring.  A  good  levee  was  made  at  t\w  junction 
of  the  Minnehaha  stream  with  the  Mississij)pi,  so  that 
steamers  on  their  way  from  Fort  Snelling  to  St.  Anthony 
Falls  could  land  with  the  great^est  convenience.  The  steam- 
boat men  very  properly  called  this  landing,  or  harbor,  Goil- 
freyport. 

On  May  1st  there  appeared  in  St.  Paul  the  first  daily  papers 
ever  i)rinted  in  Minnesota.  They  wt^re  twins,  but  the  ])roduet 
of  two  distinct  otlices  :  the  Pion<Mir  by  Earl  S.  Goodrich,  and 
the  Democrat  by  David  Olmstead. 

Tho  opening  <»f  spring  gave  an  impetus  to  trade  in  St. 
Anthony  such  as  had  not  been  felt  at  any  former  period. 
The  many  large  buildings  erected  tho  previous  year  were  all 
m'cupied,  and  new  ones  in  every  part  of  the  village  wen>  being 
built  New  business  men  moved  into  the  village.  O.  W. 
Stoughton  opened  a  new  store.  W,  F.  CahiU  and  S.  L. 
Vawter  each  liad  a  larg(»  drug  store. 

L.   0.   Walker  was  appointed  postmaster,  early  in  May,  in 


■ijl,       I   ^pl 


i 


238 


PKKS'J  ,  .1 1,    JtKCOLLKCTlONH 


place  of  O.  W.  liice,  resigned.  On  the  2(1  of  Muy  Miss  Lydia 
Libby  died  at  the  home  of  her  father  in  St,  Anthony,  aged 
twenty  years. 

T.  M.  Griffith,  (»ngineer  of  tlie  Huspension  bridge,  arrived 
on  May  oth  and  innnedialely  assume<l  the  (hitii's  of  his  office. 
A  goodly  number  of  men  were  now  employed  on  that  strnc- 
Inre.  The  anchorage  for  the  cables  were  of  n  superior  kind, 
and  secure  from  the  ])ossibility  of  moving,  the  earth  being 
removed  from  the  surface  of  the  ledge,  and  excavations  made 
under  ii  from  th(»  river  bank. 

On  the  10th  of  May  Mrs.  Stevens,  myself  and  throe  little 
daughters  left  our  home  in  Minneapolis  for  an  extended  east- 
em  journey.  The  foliage  on  the  trees  was  full  grown  when 
we  left  home,  but  traveling  through  Michigan,  Ohio,  and  New 
York,  tlie  leaves  had  hardly  made  their  ap])earance,  and  while 
making  j)assage  do\m  the  St,  Lawrence  to  Montreal,  and  from' 
the  latter  j)laco  to  norlliern  Vermont,  the  trees  were  as  bare 
of  foliage  as  in  mid-winter.  Tliis  satisfied  uh  that  Minn»»sr.ta 
was  blessed  with  earlier  vegetation  than  many  of  the  eastern 
states  that  were  south  of  us. 

The  first  dray  made  its  appearance  in  St.  Anthony  May  24. 
John  F.  Hannimi  was  the  proprietor, 

Kev.  Mr.  Ledon,  of  the  upper  town  in  St,  Anthony,  and 
otlier  friends  of  the  enterprise,  built  n  large  structure  for  a 
female  academy.  It  was  the  first  structure  of  th(^  kind  in  the 
village.  WluMi  finished  it  was  to  be  under  the  superintendence 
of  the  Sisters. 

On  the  17th  of  June  a  party  of  govenmient  surveyors  dis- 
covered in  the  marsh  where  the  freight-deiMit  of  the  Milwau- 
kee road  now  stands,  a  large  mud-turtle  with  the  figiires  1709 
cut  plainly  on  its  back.  It  was  supposed  by  these  government 
employee  that  thesi>  figures  were  the  handiwork  of  some  of 
the  early  French  voyagers  who  frequented  this  vicinity  during 
the  close  of  the  last  century. 

Citizens  of  the  Falls  were  honored,  on  tlie  8th  of  June,  by 
a  visit  from  ex-president  Fillmore  and  a  large  party  of  dis- 
tinguished  citizens  from  different  parts  of  the  Union.  Among 
them  were  Governor  Mattison  of  Illinois,  Att*)mey-Geiieral 
Bates  of  Missouri,  General  John  A.  Dix  of  New  York,  Francis 
P.  Blair  of  Virginia,  George  Bancroft  the  historian,  Prof.  B. 


OF    MINNESOTA   AND   ITS    I'EOPLS. 


239 


sillimnn  of  Yalo,  niid  n  host  of  others,  consisting  of  members 
of  congress,  editors,  i)r()fessors,  and  literary  ])eoi)le.  There 
were  many  noted  ladies  in  the  excursion,  with  Miss  Catherine 
M.  Sedgwick,  the  authoress,  at  the  head. 

IMritOVEMENTH  DUltlNO  THE  SUMMER. 

I  returned  from  my  eastern  journey  July  3,  leaving  Mrs. 
Stevens  and  the  little  girls  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  Stevens' 
parents  in  Westmoreland,  New  York,  to  spend  the  summer  at 
her  early  home.  I  found  that  during  my  absence  great  im- 
provements had  been  made  on  })oth  sides  of  the  river.  The 
citizens  had  established  a  free  ferry  in  the  lower  town,  which 
was  H  great  convenience  to  many  t>f  our  citizens. 

An  anti-slavery  convention  was  held  in  the  Congregational 
church  in  St.  Anthony.  This  convention  may  be  said  to  have 
been  almost  the  birth  of  the  Republican  party  in  Minnesota}. 

A  daily  mail  had  been  established  between  St.  Paul  and  St. 
Anthony. 

Messrs.  Rollins,  Eastman,  and  Uplon,  had  l)roken  ground 
for  a  large  grist-mill,  to  contain  six  run  of  st<me,  on  Hennepin 
Island. 

The  Free-Will  Baptist  church  of  St.  Anthony,  with  their 
pastor,  Rev.  C.  G.  Ames,  transferred  its  meetings  and  its 
organization  to  Minneapolis. 

The  Minneapolis  brick  company  had  been  very  successful 
in  nuiking  brick. 

Tallmndge  Elwell,  the  daguerrean  of  St.  Anthony,  was 
married  July  3  to  Miss  Margrette  Miller,  at  Cottage  (J rove. 

M(>ssrs.  O.  and  H.  Rogers  started  in  early  July  a  j)laning- 
ma<'hine,  the  first  at  the  Falls. 

W.  W.  Wales  gave  up  his  experiments  in  his  garden,  and 
eucceeded  Joseph  Le  Due  in  the  l)ookst<ire. 

An  order  was  received  from  the  land  department  at  Wash- 
ington bringing  into  nuirketall  the  land  belonging  to  the  old 
military  reservation  of  Fort  Snelling  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river.  It  was  to  be  sold  to  the  highest  bidder,  at  the  land- 
offic<?  in  J^illwater.  An  organizatitm  of  the  settlers  on  those 
lands  was  had.  Wm.  R.  Marshall  was  apiH)inted  th(>ir  agent 
to  bid  the  lands  in,  jMiying  ti»erefor  one  dollar  an<l  a  (piarter 
an  acre.  It  was  <lecided  to  surrotnul  the  land-office  during 
the  Bale  antl  jjermit  no  one  to  bid  against  Mr.  Marshall.     The 


';;^'WfJ:M«p'("')ll 


;  ,  I 


PEHSONAL    UECOLI.ECTIONH 


•■'  i . 


'I  3is 


profijramnip,  at  the  jiroper  time,  when  the  sale  took  place,  was 
carried  out,  and  every  man  obtained  his  home. 

Rev.  C  Secomhe  was  installed  ])astor  of  the  Coiifj^retifational 
church  July  HOth.  Sermon  by  He  v.  H.  M.  Nichols  of  Still- 
water, Pniyer  by  Rev.  Richard  Hall  of  Point  Douf^las.  ( 'harge 
by  the  pastor,  Rev.  J.  C.  Whitney,  of  Minneapolis.  Charge  to 
the  })eople  by  Rev.  Charles  (ialpin  of  Excelsior. 

M.  C.  Baker  of  Minneapolis  was  HpjMunted,  by  the  (rovernor 
8Ui)ennten(lent  of  c(mimon  schools  for  Minnesotii.  Mr.  Baker 
was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  lind  large  interests  in 
Minn<'a[)olis  real  estate. 

On  the  20th  of  July  Mrs.  Louisa  B.  Cochran(\  recently 
from  Fiowell,  Massachusetts,  died.  With  her  husband,  Mr 
Justin  Cochrane,  sh<j  intended  to  make  Minneaixjlis  her  home. 
She  was  sick  oidy  a  few  hours. 

The  First  Baptist  I'hurch  of  Minneapolis  was  organized, 
and  Rev,  A.  A.  Russell,  of  Illinois,  was  selected  as  its  pastor. 
That  organization  held  its  meetings  in  Fletcher  s  liall. 

The  Congregational  association  of  Minnesota  disorganized 
at  Excelsior  July  27th,  Rev.  Charles  Galpin,  moderator,  and 
Rev.  H.  M.  Nichols,  of  Stillwater,  scribe. 

FIRST  NEWSP.VPEU   PUBLISHED   IN   MINNEAPOLIS. 

On  Sei)tend)er  2d  the  Northwestern  DtMnoi'rat,  W.  A. 
Hotchkiss,  editor  and  proprietor,  was  issued  from  the  Minne- 
apolis side  of  the  river.  Mr.  Hotchkiss  i)urchaBed  the  paper 
early  in  August  from  the  proprietors,  Messrs.  Prescott  and 
Jones.  The  first  two  issues  after  the  purchase  were  from  the 
St.  Anthony  office.  September  2d,  1354,  therefore,  dates  the 
first  publication  »)f  a  nt'wspa[)er  in  Minneapolis,  and  the  first 
paper  published  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  north  of  Iowa, 

Captain  A.  R.  Dfxlge,  a  j)rominent  lawyer  of  St,  Anthony, 
died  of  cholera,  at  Syracuse,  New  York,  on  the  24th  of 
August. 

On  thi>  7th  of  S(>pte!nber  the  democrats  in  convention 
of  Hennej)in  coup.ty,  made  the  following  nominations  for 
county  offices  :  H.  Townsend,  of  Richfield,  for  county  com- 
missioner ;  B.  E.  Messer,  of  Minneapolis,  sherifr  ;  Geo.  E, 
Huy,  of  Minnen[)olis,  register  of  deeds  ;  Charles  Hoag,  treas- 
urer ;  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  judge  of  probate  ;  Titns,  Pettijohn, 
coroner  ;  Eljenezer  Wardswell,  surveyor  ;  Messrs.  Scofieid  of 


i  ! 


OF  MINNESOTA   AND   ITS  TKOPLE, 


241 


Blooniington,  Chnrles  Miles  of  Elm  Creek,  nud  William  Dickie 
of  Miinu'a])(»lis,  assessors'. 

On  the  14th  of  September  n  meeting  was  held  in  Fletcher's 
hall  to  take  into  consideration  the  proi)riety  of  organizing  a 
cemetery  association.  It  was  attended  l>y  nearly  every  citizen 
in  the  vilhige.  It  was  decided  to  i)nrchase  foi'ty  ai-res  of  the 
claim  of  Mr.  J.  S.  Johnson,  on  the  biuiT  'lirectly  back  of 
Johnson's  lake,  for  a  cemeteiy.  Messrs.  Isaac  Atwater, 
Edward  jVIurphy,  Rev.  J.  C.  "Whitney,  Geo.  E.  Huy,  and  B.  E. 
Messer,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  negotiate  with  Mr. 
Johnson  ft)r  the  land.  Several  snbsecpient  meetings  were 
held  ;  bnt  the  committee  failed  in  the  negotiation  with  Mr. 
Johnson.  Heretofore  the  only  place  used  for  the  burial  of 
the  dead,  on  this  side  of  the  river,  was  on  the  hill  in  the  grove 
immediately  in  the  rear  of  Hoag's  lake.  The  land  being 
claimed,  the  owner  objected  to  it  being  used  for  a  cemetery. 
In  the  meantime  Martin  Layman  set  apart  a  poi'tion  of  his 
land  for  a  cemetery,  which  seemed  to  give  general  satisfaction 
to  the  citizens,  and  no  fxirther  etforts  were  made  for  the  selec- 
tion of  a  cemetery  by  the  early  settlers  of  Minneapolis.  In 
later  j^ears  the  beautiful  grounds  of  the  Lakewood  cemetery 
were  selected. 

At  a  convention  of  the  whigs  of  Hennepin  county,  held 
September  IGth,  the  following  nominations  were  made  for 
county  otlicers  :  Joseph  H.  Canney,  for  commissioner  ;  A.  N. 
Hoyt,  for  sherilf  :  Isaac  I.  Lewis,  for  register  of  deeds  ;  Isaac 
Atwater,  for  districl-attoniey  ;  Isaac  Brown,  for  judge  of 
probate  ;  C.  W.  Christmas,  for  surveyor  ;  H.  S.  Atwood,  for 
coroner  ;  Messiu  John  Cathcart,  John  P.  Plnmnier,  and  AVm. 
G.  Murphy,  for  assessors.  Messrs,  John  H.  Stevens,  Edward 
Murphy,  H.  S.  Plununer,  J.  H.  Ciinney,  and  A.  N.  Hoyt,  were 
appointi'd  tlie  central  whig  committee  for  tlio  ensuing  year. 

At  a  district  c*>nvention  of  the  democracy  held  in  Sliakopeo 
Ht>n.  H.  H.  Sibley  and  I).  M.  Hanson  w»'re  nominated  for  the 
house  of  n'})resentati\es  ;  and  the  following  day  the  whigs 
held  a  ecjiivention  at  the  same  place,  and  nominated  Joel  B. 
Basset t  and  Wm.  H.  Nobles  candidate's  for  the  house. 

The  Minnesota  Republican,  Rev.  C.  G.  Ames,  editor,  an 
eight-column  new8pa])er,  made  its  api)carance  October  1st  in 
St.  Anthony. 


lit 


242 


PKItSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


At  thf  Hinmnl  election  October  19th  most  of  the  candidates 
on  the  democratic  ticket  were  elected. 

FIRST  AGRICULTURAL  AND  HORTICULTflRAL  FAIR  IN  MINNESOTA. 

The  ainiiud  meetinj^  of  the  Heniu'inn  county  agricultural 
society  was  held  October  fi.  John  H.  Stevens  was  elected 
president  for  one  year  ;  C'ol.  E.  Case,  treasurer  ;  Joseph  H. 
Canney,  secretary.  It  was  voted  to  hold  the  first  annual  fair 
on  the  20th  of  October,  in  Minneajjolis.  Tt  came  off  at  the 
api>ointed  time,  and  it  was  the  first  fair  of  an  agricultural  and 
horticultural  cluiracter  that  was  ever  held  in  Minnesota.  It 
was  a  success  in  every  department.  Speeches  were  made  on 
the  occasion,  by  Governor  Gorman,  ex-governor  Ramsey,  and 
Judge  B.  B.  Meeker.  Among  the  exhibitors  were  Sylvanus 
Jenkins,  Henry  C.  Keith,  Allen  Harmon,  W.  G.  Muri)hy, 
Charles  Hoag,  David  Bickford,  Arba  Cleveland,  Peter  Poncin, 
John  AVass,  Titus  Pettijohn,  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  1).  M.  Coolbaugh, 
John  Jackins,  8.  Bigelow,  J.  H.  Stevens,  William  Hanson, 
Alex.  Farribaxilt,  J.  W.  Cormack,  Isaac  Wales,  Noi*man  Jen- 
kins, W.  D.  Babbitt,  James  F.  Bradley,  B.  E.  Messer,  Edward 
Murphy,  John  Chambers,  Anson  Northrup,  Cai)tain  John 
Tapper,  J.  W.  Dow,  Clark  Varner,  W.  H.  Lauderdale,  Mrs. 
J.  H,  Canney,  Mrs.  Sweet  W.  Case.  Mrs.  Charles  Hoag,  Mrs. 
D.  Bickford,  Mrs.  D.  Elliott,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Hotchkiss,  Mrs.  S. 
Hidden,  Mrs.  J.  Boorl)ar,  Mrs.  S.  Bigelow,  and  Mrs.  Pauline 
Clarke  ;  Amasa  Oafts,  Davie  &  Calef,  Geo.  A.  Brown,  E. 
Jordan,  T.  Elwell,  L.  A.  Smith,  John  M.  Anderson,  and 
Prescott,  Pettijohn  &  Moffett.  The  grain,  roots,  vegetables, 
stock,  swine,  pcmltry,  dairy  exhibits,  the  mechanical  and 
domestic  department,  fine  art^  ladies'  d«»i)artment  and  mis- 
cellaneous articles  exhibited,  wei*e  all  of  such  excellence  they 
would  have  done  credit  to  one  of  the  oldest  and  richest  agri- 
cultural counties  in  New  York.  The  premium  list  amounted 
to  several  hundred  dollars,  and  .they  were  all  paid.  Fortu- 
nately there  were  several  strangers  present  representing 
several  of  the  eastern,  middle,  and  western  states,  and  the 
extraordinary  character  of  the  grain,  vegetal)le8  and  stock  on 
exhibition  impressed  them  so  favorably  with  the  farm  pro- 
ducts of  Minnesota  that  most  of  them  became,  in  after  years, 
permanent  residfmts  in  Minnesota. 

A  sad  and  fatal  accident  occurred  near  the  Lake  of  the 


•  ^f  wi  'hn 


;  I 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND   1T8   i'EOPLE. 


243 


Woodt  on  the  30th  of  October.  M  'ennas,  a  lad  of  some  sixteen 
years  of  age,  a  son  of  M.  C,  Gregory,  was  killed  by  the  acci- 
dental discharge  of  a  gun  he  was  handling.  This  was  the 
first  death  in  Richfield  township. 

A  lyceum  was  orgaiiized  in  Minneapolis  on  the  7th  of 
Novenibei'.  The  officers  elected  were  John  H.  Stevens,  pres- 
ident ;  Geo.  W.  Bertram  and  J.  F.  Bradley,  vice-presidents  ; 
8.  Bigelow,  secretary  and  treasurer  ;  M.  0.  Baker,  Reuben 
Robinson  and  AV.  D.  Babbitt,  executive  committee.  The  first 
discussion  was  on  the  (piestion,  "Is  the  moral  ccmdition  of  the 
world  improving  ?"  T.  C.  Jones  and  W.  D.  Babbitt  in  the 
affirmative,  J.  Brown  and  J.  F.  Bradley  in  the  negative. 
This  was  the  first  association  of  a  literary  character  ever 
organized  in  Minneapolis. 

Winter  set  in  early  this  year.  On  the  18th  of  November 
sufficient  snow  fell  to  make  good  sleighing. 

On  the  11th  of  November  AVilliam  Hanson's  dwelling  in 
the  lower  town  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Loss  two  thousand 
dollars  and  no  insurance.  This  was  the  first  dwelling  and  the 
second  building  destroyed  by  fire  in  Minneapolis. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  the  Minneapolis 
school  district  No.  1  was  held  on  the  lltli  of  November. 
Messrs.  William  Hanson,  J.  N.  Barber  and  J.  H.  Stevens 
were  elected  tnistees  for  the  year.  AlK'u  Harmon  was  re- 
elected clerk.  The  services  of  Charles  Hoag  w(>re  secured  for 
teacher  during  the  winter  term 

There  were  polled  three  hundred  and  one  votes  in  Henne- 
pin county  at  the  annual  fall  election  of  1854,  of  which  Min- 
neapolis had  ore  hundred  and  thiiiy-two,  Bloomington 
eighteen,  Minnetonka  twenty-one,  Bro<iklyn  forty,  Chanhas- 
sen  forty-two,  and  Richfield  forty-eight.  Messrs.  John  N. 
Barber  and  Simeon  K.  Odell  were  elected  justices  of  the 
peace  in  MinneHj)olis,  James  Slwivcr,  jr.,  justice  in  the  Min- 
nettmka  i)re('inct,  J.  B.  Holt  in  tlie  Brooklyn  precinct,  and  J. 
A.  Dunsnutre  and  R.  L.  liartholuiinMv  in  the  Riclifi«'l(l  district. 

The  Garland,  an  adjuni  t  of  the  lyct'um,  a  litem ry  paper  of 
rare  merit,  made  its  appearance  in  Deeend»er.  Several 
monthly  numbers  appeared  during  the  winter.  It  was  under 
the  mniiagement  of  Mrs.  8.  Bigelow,  Miss  Mary  E.  Miller, 
Mrs.  Mary  Messer,  and   Miss  Boyington.     There  were  more 


&L 


m 


m 


^ 


■i;. 


244 


PEnSONAL    ItECOLLECTIONS 


■f 


pupils  in  attendance  at  the  district  school  than  the  rooms 
could  contain,  and  it  was  decided  that  a  select  school  should 
be  opened  in  FU'tcher's  hall,  with  Miss  Martha  ]Joyin^ton  ws 
teacher.  ]Jy  the  15th  of  December  there  were  one  hundred 
and  twenty-tlve  puj)ils  in  attendance  at  the  schools. 

W.  D.  Morris,  who  lived  on  his  claim  at  Ijake  Harriet, 
succeeded,  during  the  prior  yi'ar,  in  niaturinfj;  a  few  acres  of 
broom-corn  on  his  farm.  He  converted  it  into  domestic  utility 
by  manufacturing  several  hundred  dozens  of  brooms,  and  good 
ones  they  were.  This  was  th(*  iirst  broom-corn  raised  in 
Minnesota,  as  well  as  the  first  manufactory  of  brooms  in  the 
territory. 

There  were  filed  in  the  Minnefipolis  land-office  during 
October,  November  and  December,  four  liundnMl  declaratory 
statements,  which  meant  that  number  of  farmers,  and  all  in 
Hennepin  county. 

Dr.  A.  E,  Ames  left  for  Washington  on  Deceml)er  20th,  to 
spend  the  winter  in  that  city,  in  the  interest  of  the  settlers  on 
the  reservation.  Franklin  Steeh^  of  Fort  Snelling,  and  Henry 
T,  Welles  also  sjjcnt  the  winter  at  the  national  capital  for  the 
same  purpose. 

Several  school-districts  were  organized  in  the  county  this 
year,  as  follows  :  one  in  Richfield  in  Decend)er,  anil  a  school 
tanght  by  Miss  Mary  Townsend  ;  General  II.  L.  Bartoholmew, 
C  Gregory,  Geo.  Gilmore,  C.  Conillard,  and  William  Finch, 
built  the  school-house.  This  was  the  first  school  taught  in 
Richfield.  Another  district  was  organized  near  the  Richfield 
mills  early  in  1855,  and  n  second  school  opened  under  the 
ausj)ice8  of  Miss  Clarke  as  teacher.  A  school-district  was 
organized  in  Eden  Prairie  during  the  early  i)art  of  the  year  ; 
a  very  good  school-house  was  built,  and  a  school  opened  in 
May,  taught  by  Miss  Sarah  Clarke.  A  school-district  was 
also  organized  in  Minnetonka  this  year,  and  a  school-house 
built  and  a  school  opened  with  Miss  Mary  Carman  as  teacher. 
Another  school-diftrict  was  organized  in  Excelsior  this  year, 
a  log  school-hoiise  built ;  a  summer  school  was  taught  in  it 
by  Mrs.  Jane  Wolcott.  Brooklyn  also  organized  two  school- 
districts  this  year ;  in  one  a  school  was  taught  diiring  the 
summer  by  Miss  Augusta  McLa\ighlin  ;  the  house  was  built 
on  what  was  known  as  long  prairie  ;  the  center  of  the  other 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


245 


was  on  Getchell  prniri*'  ;  the  tenclier  wns  Miss  Mary  Hiitf. 
These  schools  at  that  time  were  all  in  a  tlouriBhing  conditiDii. 
They  were  a  greater  reeoninHMulatiou  to  the  eountry  than  any- 
thing that  could  be  said  about  it.  Where  there  are  g<KHl 
schools  then'  are  always  jj;ood  people  and,  <'onseqnently,  good 
society  and  a  prosperous  community. 

BOATS   ON    THE   I'l'PEH    MISSISSIPPI. 

The  trade  on  the  upper  !^^issiHsippi  had  attained  such  a 
magnitndi',  during  the  season  of  navigation  this  year  that  it 
became  evident  the  steamer  (iovernor  Ramsey  would  not  lie 
of  sufficient  capacity  for  the  trans|X)rtati(m  of  more  than  half 
the  freight  another  year  from  St.  Anthony  to  Sauk  Hapids 
It  was  true  St.  Cloud  luul  not  yet  been  brought  into  existence, 
btit  John  L.  "Wilson  and  Geo.  R  Brott  had  each  an  eye  on  the 
west  bjink  of  the  river  from  Sank  Eajjids,  nnd  Anoka  had 
become  the  center  of  considerable  connnercial  importance, 
while  Itaska,  Elk  River,  Monticello,  find  Clearwater,  were 
rapidly  becoming  villages  of  some  imiKirtanci-,  and  the  country 
around  them  was  rapidly  filling  np  with  immigrants.  As  a 
c(mse(pu'nce  the  carrying-trade  had  doubled.  At  a  meeting 
held  in  St.  Anthony,  Major  A.  M.  Fridley,  R.  Culler,  and  S. 
M.  Tracy,  of  St.  Anthony,  A.  V.  Lane  t»f  Anoka,  and  Geo.  W. 
Sweet  of  Sank  Rapids,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  arrange 
for  adtling  anotlu'r  boat  to  the  trade.  Tln^  movement  was 
entirely  successful.  Not  only  one  boat,  but  two  ox-  three  were, 
in  after  years  engaged  in  the  passenger  and  freight  trade 
above  St.  Anthony.  One  of  the  boats,  the  Henry  M.  Rice, 
was  a  craft  that  wtmld  have  been  a  credit  to  the  boats  on  the 
lower  Mississippi. 


'  ^^l\ 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


RErRESENTATIVE   MEN   OF  THE   EARLY   KETTLER8. 

Honnopiii  county,  as  well  hk  Miniu'HpoliH,  was  greatly 
benoHtt«>(l  during  the  year  by  tlie  8up*>rior  class  of  imniif^rants. 
Anionj^  tliosc  who  Holectcd  Minneapolis  for  their  home,  was 
Francin  K.  E.  Cornell  who,  in  after  years,  l)ecame  a  meuibor 
of  the  legislature  for  several  terms,  was  also  attorney -general 
of  tlie  state  for  many  years,  and  was  elevated  to  a  seat  on  the 
supreme  bench,  which  high  ofHc(^  he  held  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  Innuediately  on  his  arrival  in  MinneJipolis  he  fornied 
a  partnership  with  1).  M.  Hanson,  and  at  once  entered  into  a 
large  i)ractice.  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Hanson  he  associated 
with  liim  Judge  C.  E.  Vanderburgh,  now  of  the  supreme 
c(mrt,  but  then  a  young  lawyer  from  the  interior  of  New  York. 
At  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  Minneapolis  he  was  only  thirty- 
four  years  of  age,  but  he  had  previously  been  el(>cted  a  mem- 
ber of  the  New  York  senate  from  Steuben  county,  and  had 
also  held  other  high  offices  in  that  state.  From  the  time  of 
his  arrival  here  tt>  his  death  he  lent  a  helping  hand  in  every 
possil)le  way  that  could  benefit  the  place.  He  was  much  inter- 
ested in  tlu'  schools  of  Minneapolis,  and  conscnited  at  an  early 
day  to  serve  as  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  district-school. 
When  the  city  required  his  wise  coinisels  in  her  municipal 
aflfairs,  he  willingly  served,  greatly  to  his  inconvenience,  as  an 
alderman.  Thoroughly  unselfish,  he  delighted  in  bestowing 
aid  upt)n  those  who  recjuired  it.  An  accomplished  orator,  au 
impartial  and  able  judge,  a  M'arm  friend,  his  death  was  much 
regretted  by  the  whole  community.     Judge  Cornell  left  an 


OF    MINSKMOTA    ASP    ITS    I'l'.OI'LE. 


247 


intorostin^  family  ••onsiHtin^  of  his  widow,  n  son  niul  daugh- 
U«r,  who  ar«^  rcwidrnts  «>f  Miniu>niM)liH. 

Gt'orjjjo  W.  C'howt'ii  vnnw  to  Minn(>a|K)liH  in  1H."»1,  hut 
residrd  nn)stly  in  othi-r  jHirtionH  of  thr  territory  until  IH/ii. 
Tli()U}^h  but  iMirtially  «'onne<'t<Ml  Avith  Minni>a|H)lis  since 
18o2,  and  may  U*  ronsidtTed  a  citizj-n  of  tin*  city  fronj  that 
date.  On  tht'orym  ization  of  the  county  he  was  selected  as 
deputy  r<  rister  of  dcetls,  and  dej)uty  clerk  of  the  hoard  of 
county  commissioners,  and  as  such  recorded  the  tirst  deed 
and  the  tirst  instnunent  in  writin<^  that  was  necessary  to  l)e 
recorded  in  Heiniepiu  county.  Mr.  Chowen  was  one  of  the 
most  useful  men  that  ever  honored  the  city  with  residt'uce. 
For  many  years  he  was  the  rej^ister  of  deeds  ol  the  <;ounty. 
For  som«'  years  previtnis  to  his  d«'ath  he  was  the  head  of  an 
abstract  office,  which  he  had  estal)lished  at  ^reat  exp«'nsc» 
Ho  was  grt'atly  estcenu'd  by  all  classes  of  citizens,  and  his 
memory  is  ;^reatly  rewnMl.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  city. 

Isaac  lirooks  Edwanlsa  native  of  North  Carolina,  Init  lon^ 
a  merchant  of  (ios|M.rt,  Indiana,  came  to  Minneapolis  in  1854, 
purchased  a  U»t  on  Nicollet  avenue,  built  a  house  on  it,  and 
m«)Ved  into  it  this  year.  He  Iwcame  a  |'»rtn«'r  of  Isaac  I. 
Lewis  in  the  store.  After  a  residen<"e  of  seveni!  years  in 
Minnea|)oli.s,  ^Ir.  Edwards  niovetl  to  AVatertown,  iii  Carver 
ccmnty,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  original  foundt  r.s,  and 
died  there  several  y«'arH  since.  Mr.  Edwards  contributed 
in  many  ways  to  help  Minnea|)olis  in  an  early  day. 

Subscrij)tion  |)a|H'rs  wen*  freijuently  passed  around  .solicit- 
ing supjKirt  for  ministers  of  the  ^os|x'l,  and  to  aid  in  building 
school-house.s,  churches,  t»»wn-halls,  hri(l<i;es,  and  layin}^  out 
roails  and  stn^'ts,  as  well  as  for  the  KupjKirt  of  teachers. 
Mr.  Edwards  always  resiHwidecl  lili«  rally  on  these  occasions. 
He  had  a  lar^e  family,  some  of  the  members  of  which  are 
citizens  of  this  stute. 

Thomas  H.  Perkins  came  fnmi  Orleans  county.  New  York, 
duriuf^  the  year,  and  purcha.se(l  re/d  estat(^  near  Murphy's 
ferry.  He  still  resides  in  the  county.  Mr.  Perkins  invested 
considerable  money  stHm  after  his  arrival  in  the  milling 
industry,  and  aidwl  j^reatly  in  developinj^  that  indu.stry  in  this 
neighborhood.     H«'  has  two  sous,  E.  R.  Perkins,  a  jjhysician 


«li 


248 


PEBXONAL    RECOLLECTIUNH 


at  ExiM'lKior.  ami  Frank  Perkins,  who  Ih  hIho  n  phymcian. 

S.  liigclow  cam*'  fn»in  Ohio  niul  wcun'd  a  lot  hikI  built  on 
it,  now  (x-<-iipiwl  liy  TenipU'  Court  bliK-k.  Hi>  also  made  u 
claim  on  Crow  river.  Mr.  Bi^^'low  was  a  promint'ut  citizen 
in  MinneaiH)liK  for  w-veml  years.     He  returned  to  Ohio. 

Many  valuable  nici-hanieti  made  their  homcH  in  the  village 
thin  year,  such  as  ISeuU^n  Robinson,  Jt)hn  H.  Atty,  Josiah 
Orthoiidt,  and  Wm.  H.  Vanier,  who  became  prominent 
citizens.  C.  ('.  IV-rkman  eni-ted  a  building,  and  established 
a  first-class  lwker>.  thirint;  the  summer,  adjoining  Mr.  Lewis' 
store.  This  wa«  the  first  linker}"  in  Minneapolis.  Dr.  Berk- 
man  residetl  hen-  mauy  years,  and  then  mt)ved  to  St.  Paul. 
He  still  residt's  in  that  city. 

W.  H.  Laudenlale  came  from  Ohio  and  took  a  claim  iienr 
Lake  Calhoun,  on  which  he  residi'd  for  several  years.  Ho 
was  the  lirst  to  intmiiace  fancy  iK)ultry  into  the  county.  He 
has  bc«'n  a  resident  of  the  city  for  many  years.  His  father- 
in-law,  John  SluJtue.  ai-fi>w|)anied  him  to  this  territory.  Mv. 
Slonne  assiste<l  C.  W.  Christmas  in  making  the  first  survey 
of  town  lots  in  Minne«|M>lis.  Mr.  Sloane's  father  was  for  a 
lon^  term  of  years  a  niemU'r  of  conj^ress  from  Ohio.  He  was 
also  treasurer  of  the  l"uite»l  States  during  several  administra- 
tions. 

J.  B.  Mills,  a  brother  of  E.  P,  Mills  of  St.  Anthony,  became 
a  citizen  of  Hennepin  county,  late  in  the  fall,  and  opened  a 
larj^e  store  in  the  prtstoffiee  building.  Mr.  Mills  resided  h«'re 
for  several  years.  He  wi-nt  toMcI..e<Hl»'ounty  and  preempted 
a,  fiiriii.     AftenvartU  he  liecame  a  government  contractor. 

Dr.  J.  S.  Elliott  came  from  Maine  and  settled  in  Minneap- 
olis in  1S,5-L  He  wa.tao-owimnied  by  his  family.  Dr.  Elliott 
became  inten-st*'*!  in  the  water-|K>wer  company  and  made,  for 
those  early  days  ht-M*"}*  investments  in  the  improvements  at 
the  Ealls.  Wyman  Elliott,  his  eldest  son,  became  a  resident 
of  the  villajfe  at  the  winietime,  tljou^^h  for  a  year  or  two  ho 
lived  on  a  claim  in  Wrijjht  county.  Dr.  A.  ¥.  Elliott,  J.  R. 
Elliott,  and  Frank  Elliott,  al.so  .*ions  of  Dr.  Elliott,  became 
residents  of  the  villain  in  lHr>4,  as  did  a  nephew,  Dan.  Elliott. 
Members  of  the  Elliott  family  have  all  become  prominent  in 
the  business  an«l  social  circles  of  Minneapolis, 

W.  Au<jjustus  Hotchkias  came   to  Minneapolis  in  Auj^ust  of 


OF   MINNKKOT.V   ANP   ITH   PF.OPI.K. 


tli'iH  yciir.  Ht*  iinnit'diiilfly  purclmsfd  llic  Norllnvcstorn 
DfiiiDcrat,  a  St.  Antlioiiy  plniit,  and  moved  it  mi  this  .nidc  of 
the  river,  and  enntiuueil  its  puhiicntion  fur  several  years. 
Mr.  llotelikisH  was  t)iie  ot*  our  Ixst  eiti/ens  ;  jierliaps  no  one 
contrihuted  in<»re  to  the  early  development  of  the  resoureei* 
of  Minn(>apoliH  and  Hennepin  eotmty.  He  wns  an  earnest 
worker,  n  eonseientious  n\an,  n  Christian  f^entlenian,  and  a 
firm  believer  in  the  future  ;^reatness  of  the  einhryii  city.  He 
wu.'^  als(Mi  Jirm  l)eliev«'r  in  henioeraey  ;  liis  jtaper  was  parti.san, 
but  more  devote<l  to  ItM-al  matters,  and  to  liuildin}.?  up  the  new 
villa).;e  and  county,  than  to  politics.  When  the  attempt  was 
made  to  dissolve  the  I  iiion,  he  entered  the  servit^e  and  com- 
numded  Hotciikiss'  battery  durintf  th(>  war,  which  becanu' 
noted  throu;j;hout  the  I'nited  States  for  its  etiiciency.  Major 
HotchkisH  was  pecidiarly  adapted  to  the  artillery  service,  for 
lie  had  in  early  life  served  an  apprenticeship  to  that  mode  of 
warfare,  'I'he  citizens  of  ^[inneapolis  will,  for  all  time  to 
come,  owe  nnich  to  ^lajor  Hotciikiss  for  liis  threat  etl'orts  in 
attract in^^  immijirat ion  and  capital  here  in  the  early  ilays  of 
the  vill»ij,'e.  He  in  still  eiij^'a^^ed  in  the  newspaper  businesH, 
editinjj;  and  publishing;  the  National  liepultlican  at  Prestttn, 
in  this  state.  His  family  resides  in  this  city,  which  is  liis 
honu'  pro])er. 

<I,i;it(JYMKN    OF   THi;    K.VItl.V    HAYS. 

Rev.  Charles  (lordon  Ames  lu'came  a  resident  ofMinne- 
ajM)lis  this  year.  H«'  secureiFa  lot  on  Ftmrtli  street,  and  built 
a  house.  Mr.  Ames  was  the  second  past(U'of  a  church  or^^an- 
i/ation  in  Minneapolis,  that  of  the  Free-Will  liaptist.  A 
younjj;  man  of  ^reat  perseverance,  well  e(bicated,  a  natural 
orator,  an  abolitionist,  a  prohibitionist,  he  nuule  it  interestinj^ 
to  the  people  in  this  neiii^hborhood,  and  undoubtedly  accom- 
plished a  fj^ood  work  amonu;  the  pioneers.  Thoroufj;hly  honest, 
he  hud  the  confidence  of  the  whole  community,  whether  or 
not  it  believed  in  his  peculiar  doctrines.  Mr.  Ames  became 
an  editor,  and  was  elected  rej.(ister  of  deeds.  He  afterwards 
went  to  California.  From  tlu>  i^oldeii  state  he  was  calh'd  to 
Philadelphia,  and  is  now  pastor  (»f  oin'  of  the  most  tlouri.shin^; 
Unitarian  duirches  on  the  continent.  WIumi  he  had  attJiine<l 
the  years  of  maturity  he  became  satisiied  that  the  orthfxlo.K 
teachings  of  his  early  years  contained  many  errors,  and  under 


•jr>i) 


ri;USONAL    IlKCOLLKC'TIOXS 


this  conviction   he   united   witlj  tlir  rnitarian  cliun-h,  and  is 
n«»\v  one  <it'  i\w  must  popular  [udpit  orators  of  the  day. 

llt.'v.  A.  A.  Kuss«'ll,  upon  tlu'  orgnuucatioii  of  tlu' JJaptist 
church  ill  MinncapoliH  this  your,  was  soloctcd  as  its  pastor. 
He  arrived  from  Illinois  in  t!u>  early  sunnu'i,  and  iniincdi- 
ufely  assunieil  the  duties  of  his  sacred  callinj^.  This  was  the 
third  <'hui'ch  organization,  and  Mr.  Kussell  was  the  third, 
pastor  of  a  church  in  Minneapolis.  He  was  a  nnm  of  ^reat 
w«)rth,  and  liis  j^immI  works  are  viHible  in  tiiis  city  to  this  day. 
He  ministered  liere  for  some  five  years.  He  was  iK)puIar 
witli  all  ilenoininafions. 

('arlos  Wilcox,  a  native  of  Vorniont,  seh'cted  his  honu*  in 
Minneapolis  this  year.  Ho  entered  at  once  into  active  busi- 
ness  life.  In  U-ss  than  a  year  after  his  arrisal  here,  he  was 
iip|iointed  postmaster  in  the  place  of  Dr.  H.  l''let<-her.  .Mr. 
Wilcox  was  the  seconil  postmaster  in  ^rinneapolis.  lie  mar- 
ried Miss  IJur^ess,  a  sister  t)f  Mrs.  F.  K.  E.  Cornell.  He  is 
still  a  resident  of  the  city. 

John  M.  Anch'rson,  so  lonjjf  a  citi/en  of  Minneapolis,  dates 
his  residence  from  this  year.  Tn  addition  t<»  heinj.?  the  first 
t>ooli-merchnnt  in  the  city,  he  was  also  the  tirst  to  engage  in 
the  l)ook-l)indery  husiness  in  Minneapolis. 
'  The  first  huildiny;  t(*  !«•  u.sed  exclusively  for  a  meeting- 
house in  Minnea|M>lis  was  commeiu'cd  and  linished  this  y«'ar. 
This  r'hur<'h  was  huilt  on  the  <'oriier  of  Cataract  street  and 
Fourth  street  south.  Jt  was  owned  hy  the  I'resbyterian.s. 
While  it  was  not  h  very  large  church  edilice,  it  was  a  conven- 
ient one,  and  we  were  all  proud  of  it.  ^\v.  Whitn<'y  tilled  tin* 
pul|»it  in  this  church  for  numy  y«'ars. 

The  ilitferent  precincts  outside  of  .Minneapolis  were  greatly 
prospered  durin;;  the  season  of  IH'A.  The  cro|)s  were  giuxl, 
and  much  of  tin-  vacant  land  in  the  <'ounty  was  occupied  by 
actual  settlers  fnun  different  parts  of  the  wculd.  Among  the 
new  imiuigrants  this  year  was  .lahn  S.  Harrington,  who  took 
a  claiiu  just  above  Way/ata,  on  the  shore  of  l^ake  Minnetonka, 
where  he  now  resides.  Mr.  Harrington  has  been  a  valuable 
citizen  in  numy  ways,  but  |)articularly  in  developing  the  hor- 
ticultural pnnlucts of  Minnesota,  (ieiieral  H. S,  Hartholoinew, 
of  the  Western  Iteserve,  Ohio,  nuule  aud  occupied  a  claim  oil 
the  banks  of  the  Lake  of   the  Woods,     (iemral  Jlartholomow 


OF    MINNKSOTV    AND    IIS    r.OI'l.ls 


251 


lias  alwnys  bcrii  a  puhlic-spiritcd  citi/t'ii.  \h-  was  a  miMnlxT 
i)f  IIh'  constitutioiia!  (■(•iivcntiuu  of  MiiiiM'Sot;!.  and  also  nprt'- 
S('iit('(l  Ilt'niu'piu  coiinly  in  the  stair  ^riiaU-.  He  lives  on  the 
land  lio  pHTinptt'd  so  lon^  aj^o. 

Coni(>liiiH  C'oiiillaid  also  Kcloctcil  mikI  moved  on  his  claim 
this  year,  near  (icnrra.  narlholomcw's,  in  llichririd.  and  lik(> 
his  niMii^lil)or,  is  a  \alual.l"  eiti/cn. 

.lames  Hawkes  was  anotluM'  ex<'ellent  citizen  who  si'ttled  in 
Ilichlield  in  1>^'>4.  lie  was  kilU'd  by  heinjj^  thrown  from  his 
wagon  in  Minneapolis  in  the  fall  of  l.SHO.  H(»s<>rved throu|j;h 
the  war  in  the  First  Miniiosota  infantry,  and  i'irst  motintid 
J3attalion. 

liloomiiif^ton  was  favored  with  "mny  atlditions  to  her  popu- 
lation. Messrs.  T.  T.  J{a/.ley  hail  .selected  a  claim  the  |)revions 
yeai,  as  had  Thomas  Oxlioronj^h.  JJf>th  of  th(>se  men  made 
valuable  farms,  and  assisted  ^Teatly  in  developiii<j^  the  ajjjri- 
cultural  industries  of  tliis  state.     Mr.  Oxbonainh  had  l>rot hers 

ho  settleil  near   him  wlu»   were  good   fanners  and  excellent 


w 


citizens. 

Amon;if  others  who  opened  farms  oi  Kd«'n  prairie  this  y»>ar 
was  Robert  Anderson.  He  followed  his  brother  James,  who 
had  made  a  claim  at  that  place  the  previous  year,  as  had  Win. 
V.  Jiryant.  Jonas  Staring  purchased  a  claim  and  moved  on 
it  this  year.  Joseph  H.  Chowen  dates  his  resich'nce  at  Min- 
netonka  from  this  year.  His  l)rother,  Hon.  Win.  S.  Chowen, 
who  has  been  of  so  much  moment  to  tlw  public,  had  taken  a 
<'laim  tho  previous  year,  and  opene«l  the  wiy  for  several  of 
his  old  neit^hbors  in  Pennsylvania  to  follow  him.  Both  <»f 
these  gontlemou  were  brothers  »»f  (leo.  W.  Chowen,  the  pio- 
neer of  tho  Wyominfj;,  Pennsylvania,  colony,  in  Minnesota. 
Mr.  W.  S.  Chowen  has  ri'preseiited  Hennepin  county  in  the 
state  house  of  r<'preseulatives  ;  occupied  foryi'ars  the  master- 
ship o>"  the  state  j^raiiiL^e,  and  has  Ih'cu  one  of  the  commission- 
ers of  Ht>nne|)iu  county  several  terms.  W.  S.  and  J.  H. 
Chowen  an^  j)r(tf^ressive  farmers.  Their  sister,  Mrs.  James 
Shaver,  jr.,  was  the  first  wliile  woman  who  resided  at  ^linne- 
tonka,  liaviiij^  made  In  r  home  there  with  her  husband  in  tin* 
fall  of  IS.VJ.  Another  sister  is  the  wife  of  A.  N.  Cray,  also  a 
j)ioneer,  and  tho  millwright  of  the  old  Minnetonka  mill  com- 
puny.     Mrs.  Shave;'  was  the  moth*  r  of  the  firat  two  children 


ik 


mmmmmmm' 


or,o 


I'KHHONAL    lii;<  Ol.LEfTIONH 


iMtrn  on  tlie  Ixmlcrs  >>{'  MuuHMoukii—  twiii?  Hjiviinl  'V.  inul 
Brrnard  (J.  Sihn\<  r,  honi  Auj^ust  12,  lSo2.  'I'Iu'hp  y<mnj^  iiirii 
linvi'  reacliciS  a  \  i-^oions  jiiiiiilioixl.  iuxl  nrv  ])r(>miiient  citi/c'iif. 
It.  could  lianlly  be  ollinwist'  wlicii  \\t>  (•(»itHi«l«M- tlii' ^otxl 
inotlicr  lln'V  were  hlcHscd  with. 

'I'lic  vacant  laiul  around  lIi-'  lake  was  nioslly  occupied  hv 
iiciua!  rcsiiicnts  llus  yi^ar.  A^iilc  I'l-oiii  ihusc  \\  ho  netth'd  in 
the  ncifihljorhood  of  I'^xcelsior, :»uch  uicn  as  A.  J'.  Hcciniui, <) .  H. 
Clark,  and  ()t)icr,->,  wc  find  that  Win.  H.  I'crj^ii^on.  a  MHtivc  of 
Scothind,  occupit'd  tiic  lonir  j)oint  of  land  cxtcndin;,' into  the 
lake  on  the  south  shore  heiow  Kxcelsioi-.  Mr.  Ferj^nson  nah- 
a  Mian  of  niiicii  more  than  ordinary  ahilils.  Hi*  wan  drowned 
in  the  hvko  hit«'!  in  the  tall  «)f  IS,")!, 

Wiliuun  Harvey,  also  a  unlive  of  Si-ollaml,  nuide  u  claim  iti 
the  fracti'tnul  township  of  Kxcelsior  this  yeai'.  L.  P.  Kanip- 
Hon  also  settled  in  Kx«'e1si(U' this  year.  M  r.  Sampson  was  for 
many  years  the  postinaste;-  in  ihaf  vilianc  Silas  A.  Seanians 
took  up  a  \aeant  (|uarter-se<-tioii  of  excellent  land  a  little  west 
of  Excelsitir,  this  rsununer,  and  wnm  had.  nol  only  an  <'xeellent 
home,  Imt  a  ^t)od  farm.  Z.  D.  Spaukliiij;  al.so  settled  (m  a 
farm  tluH  year  near  Excelsior  and,  like  his  neitfhhors  of  that 
period,  endured  many  hardships. 

Minnotristn  had,  previous  to  this  year,  only  two  settlors, 
the  Mer/  brothers.  Dnrintr  the  8»>aw«ui  AleHHrs.  M.  H.  C.'txik, 
>J.  H.  Sanilers,  ami  .1.  W.  liuck.  mad*'  claims  and  oeenpied 
them.  John  Carman  inatie  a  <'Iaini  on  what  is  known  as 
Carman's  l*oint.  He  wtw  tlie  father  of  MrH.  Cook,  and  of 
Miss  Mary,  the  fii'st  Heluml-tA'ftcher  at  Miniietonka.  His  son 
Frank  is  still  a  resident  «<f  Minuet  ri.sta.  Cooks  bay,  on  the 
upper  lake,  t^>ok  its  name  from  M.  S.  Ct>ok.  Independence 
for  the  lirst  time  was  settled  late  this  year  by  Jol)  MotVett, 
closely  followed  by  Mennrs.  K.  Hoisin}.;ton,  .b>hn  15.  Perkins, 
Irvin  Shrewsbury,  and  John  H.  Mc(5ary.  The  lirst  Bettlers  of 
this  town  were  men  «»f  a  j^ood  deal  of  onterpriHO.  Medina, 
too,  for  the  first  time  received  settlers,  Messrs.  Stephen  ]iean 
from  Maine,  and  .\.  F.  French  of  Ohio,  niakinj.;;  claims.  Two 
brothers  from  (iermany,  by  the  name  of  Kassula,  also  t){)ened 
farms,  this  year,  in  this  township  ;  and  most  of  the  vacant,  land 
in  Brooklyn  was  taken  thiw  year.  Amonjjj  thoHc  who  stHtled 
in  the  town  in  1854,  were  Otis  H.  Brown,  X.  Crooker,  C.  H. 


or    .MINNT.SOTV     \\l>    ITS    M'.ori.K. 


Wiinl,  find  Juiiii  V  Plumintr.  Osscd  \  ilhi^c  wns  o<-cu|)i('(l 
this  yt'iir  l»y  Wjirrcii  Siiiiipstin.  Isiuic  IjihnsiiiiiM'c,  Clark  Klls- 
worth,  S.  iirow  11,  (111(1  1).  ii.  'I'luivrr.  llion^h  the  inunfiliatc 
voiintrv  liml  Im'cii  si'ttlcil  Im'I'oiv,  liy  Mt'ssiH.  JJoltim-au,  I'dIvjh, 
I?Mi('li(',  niul  (Jarvais. 

•  Cluiinpliii  lluH  year  added  many  settlers  to  her  popidation  ; 
the  most  prominent  of  whom  were  |{«'v,  W.  Hayden,  Samuel 
('oll>urn,  and  John  (1.  Howell.  Dayton  Avas  honore(l  in  I.S."'»4 
with  an  unusually  eiiterprisiiit;  immij^ration,  eonsi?.lin;;  of 
such  juen  as  E.  H.  Kohinson,  Jolm  Haxter,  Janics  Has«'lt«>u, 
and  (leorj^e  Mosier.  In  the  nei;j;hl>orinL(  town  nt  Hasstiu 
Patrick  A.  Kyan,  Alexander  IJorthwick,  Harvey  Hii'ks.  l>enniH 
I'ord,  AIpheUH  Maserey,  and  Joseph  ( ireen,  niaile  elaims  ; 
which  was  n  very  j^ood  commencement  when  w»  consiiler 
that  thoru  were  i!(»  roH<ls  to  reach  the  town,  and  that  it  wa>  in 
the  heart  of  the  hij.;  woods. 

The  lirst  settlement  was  also  nuide  in  GreenwocM]  tuwn.-ilup 
this  year,  by  Matliias  Marty.  'The  only  way  .Mr.  Harll"  had  to 
reach  his  claim  was  !>y  an  Indian  trail.  He  found  it  moro 
dcHiraltle  and  cheaper  to  trans|M)rt  his  supplies  hy  the  river 
in  a  batteau  ;  that  is  to  say,  \>y  followinu^  up  the  Mississippi 
t<t  t'row  nver,  thenc(  up  that  river  to  his  claim,  which  was 
on  its  banks.  Louis  1'.  (Jarvais  and  Wm.  M.  J'^win;^  were  the 
H«»l<«  occupants  of  Ma[)ie(rrove  up  to  this  year,  when  they 
w*»ro  joined  by  Ha  I've  V  Abel,  A.  ().  Anj^ell,  SVm.  I'i.  Evans, 
Patrii'k  Devery.  and  t).  K.  Champlin.  Mr.  pjvans  was  from 
Vermont,  and  was  in  ^'earch  of  ii  country  where  he  could  plant 
u  colony  from  his  native  statt'.  He  thorouj^hly  explored  the 
then  wild  west,  and  wi«»ely  selected  the  beautiful,  fertile 
wi]d(>nt«'HH  in  Maple  (Irove,  where  he,  nnd  tlumo  who  caino 
aft«'r  him.  huve  nuidt*  the  place  blossom  like  the  rose.  Mr. 
EviuiH  htiH  been  iitMpiently  called  upon  i>y  tiie  citizens  of 
Hennepin  county  io  (wcu|)y  various  otlice.M  in  their  ;^ift, 
Djnid  Marchant,  a  car|»«'nler,  had  previ«»us)y  opened  a  fa.nn 
in  this  township,  wh*.  h  was  pr«>bn)»ly  as  miich  his  hoiiu'  as 
any  piwM',  hh  he  whs  h  Kinjj;le  vmin,  and  had  only  a  tenijiorary 
roKiih'ii'-e  »>lsewhere   while  workinj^  at  his  trade. 

I'lyniontli  t<iw)ij*hip  thisyeai  made  rapid  proffress  in  the 
ri'ceptiod  I' si'tth^rs.  Francois  Huo».  <  i.  1).  Ilrawh  y.  !  )avid 
Gt)rhuui,   JanicH   Hughes,  Edwanl  iiurki',  Jonns  H.   H«.>we, 


Sit 


264 


I'EUKU.N.VL    liKCOLLECTIONS 


C.  W.  Fnrinfifton,  and  sfvcriil  others,  iiuliidinfj:  the  three 
l)r()thors,  tho  Parkers.  A  more  enterprisiiij^  and  helter  class 
of  oitizeiiH  could  not  be  added  to  any  lU'W  county  than  that  of 
the  imniifj;nition  to  Plymouth  in  1H84  ;  but  the  Hanie  may  be 
said  in  relation  to  the  iuimii^ratiiai  of  tlic  whoh*  county. 
Many  of  tlrcm  iiad  lar^'c  faniilieH,  su<'h  as  Mr.  Hughes  of 
Plymouth,  and  John  1*.  Plnmmcr  of  JJrooidyn.  Tlu^  hist- 
iinmed  ji;entleman  was  fn-inicntly  hi>noreil  by  the  citizei.s  of 
Hennepin  county  with  hi^h  oflices,  which  he  tilled  witli  great 
fidelity  to  tlu*  int(>rests  of  the  j)e(»j)lc.  He  was  the  father  of 
several  boys,  f(mr  of  which  he  sent  to  the  Tnion  army,  some 
of  wiiom  attained  high  rank. 

NAV[(iAriO\   OF   THE    MISSlHSim    TO    ST.    ANTHONY    FALLS. 

The  citizens  of  St.  Anthony  and  Minneapolis  determined 
to  .secure  one  or  more  boats  to  run  from  the  lower  ports  to 
the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  At  a  meeting  at  the  St.  Charles, 
with  John  W.  North  in  the  chair,  and  Edwiird  M\irphy  sec- 
retary, the  sum  t)f  tifteeu  thousaml  dollars  was  subscribed  by 
the  citizens  of  the  tw«>  tt)wns.  The  capital  stock  of  the  St. 
Anthony  BteamlK)at  company  was  placed  at  thirty  thousand 
dolhuu  The  numey  in  due  time  was  all  raised.  At  this 
nu'cting  it  was  determined  to  call  the  tirst  boat  that  should 
b(>  built  or  purchased  for  th»'  trade  the  "Falls  City".  It  was 
further  determin(>d  that  it  shrmld  leave  Pittsburg  for  the 
Falls  »dM)ut  the  first  of  April,  IH.')").  A  board  of  directors 
consisting  of  .\.  M.  Fridley.  J.  B.  (Jilln-rt,  Z.  E.  P.  Nash,  and 
l\.  Cutler,  of  St.  .Anthony.  (in<l  Edward  Murphy,  of  Minne- 
apolis, was  seh'cted  to  cjiiry  out  the  wishes  of  those  who  had 
so  lib»'rally  subscribed  1(»  tin*  enterprise.  These  gentlemen 
were  instructed  to  send  a  competent  agent  at  once  to  the  Ohio 
river  for  th.e  j)urpose  of  either  purchasing  or  buililing  a  boat 
suitable  for  the  trade.  Suffice  to  say,  in  due  tinu'  the  instruc- 
tions were  pretty  well  carried  out  i)y  the  committee.  In 
Hubse<iaent  years  a  steamer  calh'd  the  "  Falls  City",  was  in 
the  trade.  Ib'gular  trips  were  made  from  the  Falls  «»f  St. 
Anthony  to  the  ])orts  on  the  lower  ^Iississipi)i,  comnumded 
at  ditferent  times  by  Captain  Edward  Murphy.  Captain  J.  P. 
(Jill)ert,  and  C'aptnin  John  Martin,  all  stockholders.  Caj)tain 
John  C.  Heno  was  also  nuister  of  boats  that  ran  regularly 
between  St.  Anthony  Kails  and  jHjrts  down  the  river. 


OF    MINNKHOTA    AND    ITS    I'KOl'l.K. 


'1'}') 


Tlie  first  exwutioii  in   MinncHotji,  acconliny;  to  the  law  of 
tlu»  territory  took  place  in  St.  Paul,  on  tlie  UTlli  of  Dtccmln'r 
when  tlic  Dakota,  ]ii(!iaii  Yiiliazfe  was  Inni^  f(»r  tho  murder" 
of  a  (ierinaii  woinan  al)ov(>  Sliakopee,  in  No\('iiil)er,  1852. 

There  were  a  jjfood  many  t<»rritorial  roadn  laid  out  thin  year 
from  St.  Antliony  and  Miun(>ajK)lis  to  ditl'erent  |)arts  of  tin* 
territory  ;  tln'  most  important  of  M"lii<'h  was  one  from  the 
Fails  to  the  St.  ( 'roix,  and  from  Minnea|)olis  to  the  western 
boundary  of  Sibley  eounty.  Thesf  roads  were  eHtablished  by 
siH'cial  acts  of  the  leji;islature.  In  some  instaneeH  there  was 
(•<msiderable  money  <>xpeiith'd  on  them.  TIm'  money  was 
raised  by  subscription  in  St.  Anthony  and  Alinneapoli.s. 

The  suspension  brid^">  spanninj^  the  main  channel  of  the 
Mississippi  had,  on  the  3th  of  December,  received  its  last 
rioor  lieam.  Ori  that  day  Mr.  (Irillith,  the  enj^dnoer,  invited 
the  f.;enth'men  of  the  ))resH  at  the  Falls,  and  their  ladies,  to 
cross  tin-  structun'  upon  the  tirst  span  that  ever  united  tho 
opposite  biinksof  the  Mississippi  river.  Of  course  the  brid{j;e 
was  far  from  bein^  completed  ;  it  would  re<iuir(^  months  of 
hard  work  befori'  it  cimld  be  xiscmI  for  teanm,  ami  for  that 
niatt<'V,  for  foot-j)a.sKenjj;ers.  Tiie  leny;th  t>f  the  s|Min  was  six 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  ;  vertical  detlection  of  cultlcs  forty- 
wven  ft  it,  which  were  four  in  nund)er.  an«l  each  iitmprisod 
of  five  hundred  strands  of  No.  10  charcoal  iron  wire. 

On  December  4th  the  tirst  tire  company  was  orjj;anized  in 
St.  Anthony.  Ci.  B.  Hubbard  was  appoint«'d  foreman,  11.  VV. 
Cummiiif^s  tb'st-assistant.  S.  M.  llickers  second-assistant,  D. 
S.  M(»on'  sec  re  a  ry.  and  Dr.  John  H.  Murphy  treasurer. 

Amon^  the  prominent  professitmal  men  who  Itecame  citi/fus 
of  St.  Anthony  were  the  well-known  lawyers,  N.  H.  Hemiup. 
Geo.  A.  Nourse,  Wni.  J.  Parsons,  and  Edwin  Smith  Jom-h. 
In  snljHequt'ut  years  Mr.  Nourse  became  much  interested  in 
politics.  He  moved  to  tlje  Pacific  slo|)e.  and  waf  elected 
Btt^)rney-Keneral  of  Nevada.  He  is  n»»w  a  prominent  meinbcr 
of  the  San  Fnuicis<^),  California,  bar.  A  <lautrhter«)f  <  ieneral 
Nourse  is  the  wif(>  of  a  son  of  Hon.  John  W.  Nortii,  th»' 
pioneer  hiwyer  of  St.  Anthony.  They  also  reside  in  Califor- 
nia. Mr.  Ht'uiiup  has  idso  uuule  St.  Antliony,  now  ejist 
MinneaiM)lis,  his  home.  H<>  was  for  many  years  Jud^e  of 
probate  of  Heune])in  county.     Mr.  Jones  iiiuved   from    St. 


if    '■ 


2o(> 


rf',ltH(»NAF-     ItKl'OLLKcriDNH 


Anthony  to  Minnoipolis  in  the  sprin;^  of  IHiio.  He  wiih  a 
pjirtntT  of  Ju(l}^('  Atwatcr,  nt  that  time.  He  also  liccanio 
judf^c  of  probat*'  of  Ht-nnt-pin  ctJiii'ly.  an<l  during  tlu'  war  was 
a  coniniissary  with  the  rank  of  captain.  He  haw  rotired  from 
the  j)ractire  «)f  hiw,  and  is  n«»\v  prt'sidrnt  of  llic  JlcniK'pin 
<'onntry  savini^^s  Imnk.  .ludg*'  'Tones  was  tiic  tirst  person 
aihnitted  to  the  har  in  Hennepin  county,  which  was  on  motion 
of  Isaac  Atwater,  at  the  April  term  of  the  district  court 
Jndj^'e  Chat tield  presiding,  in  IS")').  Mr.  Parsons  remained 
in  St.  Antliony  for  over  a  year,  when  lie  also  removed  to 
Minneapolis,  v.here  \w  continiied  the  practice  of  tlie  hiw 
Sul)se(|uenfly  lie  moved  to  St.  ('lou<],  aiitl  from  that  |)lace  to 
St.  Paul,  where  hi-  died  a  few  yeais  since. 

Chas.  L.  Chase,  a  nativ»'  (tf  ('ininecticut,  settled  in  St. 
Anthony  this  year.  He  was  a  l»rother-in-law  of  C'aptain  J. 
li.  (lilbert.  Mr.  Chase  estahlislied  a  bank  and  real-estate 
office,  and  was  for  several  years  an'  active  busiiu'ss  man  in 
that  city.  He  w!is  appointed  secretary  of  the  territory  by 
Presidt'nt  liuchamin,  and  after  tlu»  retiring  of  (Jovornor 
Medary,  early  in  IBoH,  he  was,  l)y  virtue  of  his  office,  Oovor- 
nor  of  Minnesota,  which  position  he  held  until  May  24th. 

Another  gentlenum  who  has  become  prominent  in  this  part 
of  the  state  who  came  to  St.  Anthony  tliis  year  is  W.  \V. 
Eastman.  In  coiui)a)iy  with  Captain  l{ollins  and  l\.  P.  Upt<m 
he  immediati'ly  commenced  the  erection  of  a  large  flour  mill 
on  Hennepin  island.  He  was  also  a  j)ioneer  in  th(>  milling 
l)Usiness  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Pall.s.  He  became  the  owner 
of  Nicollet  Island,  and  other  valu/dile  pro|ierty  in  this  neigh- 
borhtMtd.  Mr.  Eastnuin  is  an  enterprising  citizen,  heljiful  io 
this  city,  in  which  he  still  resides. 

Early  in  theseasou  tlu'  name  of  I).  Morrison,  linngor.  Maine, 
appeared  on  the  register  of  the  St.  Charles  hotel  i)i  St.  Anthony. 
.Vgehtleuian  of  exceedingly  keen  perception,  it  t)nly  reipiired 
a  glance  at  th«'  almost  undeveloped  water-|K)Wer,  and  «»ther 
advantages  in  the  neighborhooil,  to  convince  Inm  that  hero 
was  a  rare  opportunity  for  investment.  Nt)t  oidv  Miim(>apolis 
andSt.  Anthony.  Imt  tlie  whole  state,  has  been  greatly  benetit- 
l«!«l  by  Mr.  Morrir^ou's  removal  to  Minnesittn  in  iHoo. 

Citizonw  on  lM)th  sides  of  the  riv  r  were  pleuned  with  the 
outlook  ut  the  close  of  the  year  1854. 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 


LOCAL  EVENTS  OK   KIOIITKKX    HI  NDKKD  AND   FIFTY-FIVE. 

Tlio  territorial  h'j^islatun'  convciu'd  in  St.  Paul  on  Monday 
the  third  day  of  January.  JoHoph  11.  Brown  r('i)rt\s('ntt'd  Iho 
wcKt  Hid(^  of  tho  rivor  in  tin*  council,  and  Messrs.  H.  H.  Sibley 
and  D.  M.  Hanson  in  the  hous(>  of  representatives.  The  d»'l- 
c'gation  from  St.  Anthony  was  Hon.  C'has.  T.  Stearns  in  tho 
council,  and  Major  A.  M.  Fridley  and  J)aniel  Stanchtield  in 
the  house.  M.  C.  liaker  of  Miiuu'apolis  was  elected  one  of 
tho  clerks  in  the  council,  and  the  editor  and  jjroprietor  of  tho 
only  newspap»'r  published  in  Heiuiepin  county,  W.  Augustus 
Hotchkis.s,  was  electtul  one  of  the  territorial  printers.  'J'liis 
was  the  lirst  homtr  of  the  kind  <'ver  ]»aid  to  a  Minneapolis 
editor.  It  was  worthily  bestowed,  and  when  we  consi(h>red 
that  the  paper  had  been  published  in  the  county  less  than  six 
months,  while  there  was  the  Pioneer,  the  ]>  'inocrat,  and  the 
Minnesotian,  in  St.  Paul  (the  two  former  diii(ies),  we  feM  thnt 
the  county  was  <'oining  to  tlu<  front  in  intluence. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  territorial  agricultural  society  was 
held  in  the  hall  of  the  lu)ust»  of  repn',s«>ntatives  on  the  lOth  of 
January,  (tovernor  (Jorman,  tlie  president,  in  tin*  chair.  Tho 
annual  address  was  by  Hon.  H.  H.  SibN'y.  Of  the  many 
address«'S  before  tin*  stale  agricultural  society  none  have  been 
nu)n»  <'lo(pient  and  impressive.  Tho  following  gentlenit>n 
wero  elected  oflicers  of  the  society  :  John  H.  Stevens  *)f 
Hennepin  county,  president  ;  J.  W.  Selby  of  Hamsey,  ('apt. 
Wm.  Hol'iindte  of  Washiiigton,  Hon.  H.  H.  Sibley  of  Dakota, 
H'.n.  S.  Jialdwin  Olmstead  of  IJenton,  Swe.t  W.  ('use  (»f 
Honnopin,  li.   AV.    Dodd  of   Nicollet,  and  Hon.   JoHe|>h   li. 


'.:.,     IIM"I!|«|I      M 


2o8 


PKItSONAr.    ItKCOLLKCTlONS 


l^rowu  of  Sibley,  vicc-prrsidciitH  ;  TMwiinl  Mnrpliy  of  Hon. 
lU'pin,  Hrcn-lary  ;  ('.  if.  I'liiKcr  <»f  Jiaiiiscy,  treasurer.  On 
niolioii  of  W.  A.  Ifoti-hkiss  of  Hennepin,  ]Major  P.  ]J.  Furl)er 
of  Kamsey,  A.  Jiarpenteur  of  l{aniH(>y,  Jan.  S.  Norrisof  Wasli- 
inglon,  N.  11.  Stoddard  of  Hennei)in,  and  Jos(>])h  Hasliell  of 
Washington,  were  appointeil  tln«  executive  coniniitlee  for  the 
year. 

An  interesting  di.scussion  followed  which  was  participated 
in  by  wveral  members  who  wished  to  inij)resH  upon  the 
iniblic  the  fact  that  ^liunesota  was  not  only  a  grain-prodncing 
territory,  but  fiiVordrd  superior  advantages  for  slock  of  every 
ilescri[  tion.  Jlev.  ]>.  F.  lloyt  of  St.  i'aul  thought  the  society 
should  declaro  the  self-eviih'nt  fact  that  tlu*  t«'rritory  was 
decidedly  n  sheeij-raising  or  wool-growing  country.  Jn  onU-r 
to  show  th(<  opinion  that  was  entertained  liy  th«<  soi-iety  at 
that  early  day  in  regard  t<»  the  ])robability  of  ^Minnesota 
becoming  u  wh(>at-producing  region,  1  copy  the  following 
resolution,  which  was  adopted  by  tho  stu-iety.  ll  was  intro- 
duced by  ]\lr.  Hotchkiss  ; 

"  Uesolved,  That  it  is  the  opinion  of  this  society  that  the 
"climate  and  soil  of  ]\I  innesota  are  particularly  adapl«'d  to  (he 
"successful  growth  of  wlu'at." 

Here  is  anotlc  r  introduced  by  (Jovernor  Holcombe  of 
Washington  : 

"Resolved,  That  in  tho  opinioji  of  this  society  Minnesota 
"is  n  good  stock-growing  country,  on  account  of  its  grasses 
"being  more  nutritions,  and  its  climate  more  healthful,  than  in 
"  other  regions  south  of  it." 

It  must  bo  admitted  that  tho  members  of  the  ^linnesoUi 
ngricidtural  society  had  a  pretty  correct  knt)wle(lg(>  in  regard 
to  the  capability  of  th(>  soil.  Since  that  time  the  stale  has 
become  known  all  over  the  world  for  its  great  productivenesH 
in  wheat,  stock  and  wool. 

For  tho  first  timo  tho  citizens  of  St.  Anthony  and  Minne- 
apolis, through  tho  t-nterpriso  of  the  l)utclu>rs  in  the  fonner 
place,  observed  New  Years  with  turkey  on  tlu-ir  tables.  The 
l)rice  of  tho  turkey,  in  those  days,  was  tweiity-fivo  cents  ])(>r 
pound.  The  im|xjrtatiou  was  overland  in  sleighs  from  Cen- 
tral Iowa. 

The  Carson  League,  a  t*>mp<iranco  orgnniy.ation,  wns  sbirtetl 


OF    MINNKHOTA    AM)    IIS    I'Kol'I.K. 


2r>o 


in  ^liiiiU'upoliH,  witli  Kt'v.  J.  C.  Whitney,  president,  (iii»l  A. 
K.  Hfiitwcll,  sccntiiry.  Nfiirly  every  man  iind  woman  in  the 
villiiyt'  lieeiiiMi'  nieml)erH  of  the  oiLrimi/ation. 

At  th«'  annuui  meeting;  of  Hennepin  Liwlj^e  No.  4,  held  in 
Musonie  liall,  on  St.  John's  (hiy,  the  following:  otticers  t)f  the 
l«Mlf.":e  were  »'h>cted  for  the  year  18');')  :  K.  A.  Iludsdon.  \V.  M. : 
J.  N.  J{Hrl)er.  S.  W.;  J<.hn  H.  Ktev«>ns.  .1.  \V.;  K.  Case,  treas- 
iirer  ;  Charh's  IToa^,  secretary  ;  S.  J.  Mason,  S.  1).;  li.  Kob- 
ius»)n,  .1.  J).,  Calvin  Church,  Tyh'r. 

Tho  first  Htajj;e  lin»'  from  Minneapolis  and  St.  Anthony  l»y 
way  of  St.  PaJil  and  Taylor'H  Falls  to  Jjake  Superior,  was 
estaltlished  early  in  January  of  this  year.  The  ])roprietor 
was  William  Nettleton,  now  of  St.  Paul,  but  then  a  resident 
of  what  is  now  Duluth. 

A  brass  band,  tlu'  first  organized  at  the  Falls,  under  tlie 
BUperintendenee  of  Mr.  Lawren«'e,  became  j)r(>minent  not 
t:Mly  in  musical  circles,  but  in  festivals  and  social  ^atherint,'s 
this  winter.     One  can   hardly  inui^ine  how  much  »  njoymeut 


th( 


re  was  in  the  ])resence  of  this  new  or^ani/atiiui 


Franklin  Steele  and  Isaac  Atwater  were  elected  members 
of  the  Board  of  Ib't^ents  by  the  leujislature  in  joint  conven- 
tion early  in  January.  Major-  A.  M.  Fridley  of  St.  AisthoUN 
and  INI.  JJlack  of  Stillwater  were  elected  a!  ih«'  same  time, 
nuikin^  all  the  members  of  tho  lioard  in  .January,  IS');"),  as 
follows  :  Franklin  Steel(>,  L.auc  Atwater.  A.  M.  Fridley,  H. 
M.  Kice,  S.  Nelson,  IJev.  J.  CJ.  ]{li,>ildatb'r.  J.  H.  Stevens,  il.  H. 
Sibley,  Alex.  Ibimsey.  15.  J{.  Meeker,  A.  Van  Vorhes,  Ooo. 
W.  l''arriuj<toii,  and  M.  IJlack.  Messrs.  Steele,  Atwatov, 
l-'ridlcy,  ^[(n'ker,  and  Steven.s,  WM'e  residents  or  owners  of 
property  at  the  Falls.  The  otlu-r  mend)ersof  the  board  were 
all  friendly  to  the  University,  and  aicUd  in  every  })os8ible 
way  to  push  it  forward  to  com])letion. 

In  tlu>  <'arly  part  of  .binuary  31  r.  J,. I.  Kennedy  of  St. 
Anthony  nu)ved  over  to  Minntaj.'olis  and  o|)ened  a  boot  and 
shoe  store.  'I'his  was  the  lirhit  euleblishmenl  of  tho  kind  in 
Minneapolis. 

SIHPKNSION  UTIIIV.IK  Orr.NF.P  FOlt  Tl!  VVFI.. 

ITp  to  this  time,  durin^>;  the  suspension  of  navijijr.tioii,  the 
eiti/.ens  of  the  territory  had  only  weekly  mail  nervice  fn)m  the 
lower  country.     Through  the  enei-gy  of  Hon.  H.  M.  liice,  our 


r,|»l'""l 


m 


"I'j, 


I'EBHONAL    HECOLLKrnONS 


doloRftto  ill  ('onp;roHft,  a  tri-wookly  mail  from  Duhmiue  to  St. 
Paul  wiiH  oKtahliHlu'd,  coiinm'nciiif^  January  l^tli. 

Tho  completion  for  travol  of  tlio  HUHpoiision  hridfj;**  was 
ohHorvt'd  l>y  a  ^raiul  celehration  of  tho  /J'ijLiz«'i>H  at  tlir  St. 
(■liarlc'H  hold  in  St.  Anthony,  on  th«>  2Ma  (uifimuary.  Nearly 
all  th(M'iti/('ns  on  each  nith)  of  the*  river  partieipal»'(l  in  tl." 
event.  Whiio  the  hridj^o  waH  not  entirely  Hnishe(l,  yet  it 
was  thrown  hom«'  to  tho  travelinj^  puhlie.  The  toU-houne  was 
completed,  and  tho  directors  seh'cted  (Captain  John  Tap|M*r 
to  occupy  it  and  receivo  toll.  The  onh-r  of  exercises  in  cele- 
bration of  the  event  was  as  follows  :  First,  citizens  and  the 
mechanics  of  tin*  work  with  tho  invited  quests  convened  at 
the  St,  Charles  h«)tel  at  1  o'clock,  when  a  procession  of  over  a 
milo  in  lenj^th  was  formetl  and  moved  from  th(>  hotel  lieaded 
by  a  band  of  music,  all  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  J.  H. 
Murphy,  Marshal  of  the  Day,  and  Z.  E.  JJ.  Nash,  assistant, 
and  Captain  John  Martin,  standard-i>earer,  and  passed  down 
Main  street  and  cro.ssed  over  to  Nicollet  island,  where  a 
cannon  was  stationed  to  iMxmi  forth  tlu»  peculiar  joy  of  tho 
occasion.  From  tho  island  tho  ])rocr:>ssion  crt)ss»»d  over  the 
bridge  into  ^f.inneaiMilis,  passed  down  Washinj^tcui  av«'nue, 
up  Second  street  to  tho  bridg»>,  recrossed,  passed  down  Main 
street,  St.  Anthony,  and  up  Second  street  to  St.  Charh's, 
where  uix  lon><  tables  were  spread  with  a  dinner  for  the  com- 
pany. The  offi:'ers  of  the*  day  were  Wm.  J.  Parst)ns,  j)resi(lent; 
John  G.  Lennon,  John  H,  Sl^neus,  Jl.  P.  Kussell,  and  J.  H. 
Gilbert,  vice-pri'sidents.  After  dinner  toasts  M'ere  drank,  and 
resjKmsi  8  made*  by  L.  ^f.  Olds,  Captain  J.  H.  Simp.son  <tf  tin? 
corps  of  V.  S.  topoj^raphical  enj^ineers  ;  T.  M.  Griffiths, 
enj^ineer  of  the  bridj^e  ;  J.  H.  Trader,  AVm.  P.  Mtirray,  St. 
Paul  ;  Oscar  F.  l*erkins,  now  of  Northfield,  Minnesota  ;  H. 
H.  Sibley;  Geo.  I).  Jiowman,  edil(>r  «)f  the  St.  Anthony 
Express;  Geo.  !•'.  Jtrott,  John  i^Ic  M.  Holland  of  Shakop«'e, 
and  Captain  John  Tapper.  Probably  this  was  one  of  the 
most  interestinj^  meeting's  that  had  been  held  in  tlie  villafj;e. 

On  the  '2'2(1  of  January  a  larg(^  meetinj^  was  held  in  jMinne- 
ajM)lis,  by  thi'  citizens,  prolcstintc  a;<ainst  a  bill  that  had  been 
introduced  and  was  likely  to  |)ass  through  congress,  granting 
a  largo  amount  of  land  to  the  Minnesota  and  Nortljwest<'rn 
railroad   company.       This*  was   a    Minnesota   cctmpany,   tho 


OF  3IINNKSOTA   AM)    ITS    I'EOI'I.E. 


•j«n 


■'} 


flmrter  of  wliicli  ha«l  pri'viounly  Iw't-n  granted  by  \ho  U-rri- 
torial  U'j^iHlatun',  M«'ssrH.  J«m'1  \i.  Hansftt,  K.  |[t'ilth'rly,  Dr. 
H.  Fl»'t«'li»'r,  Isaac  Hrown,  and  li.  K.  MfSHcr,  iiuulr  h|M'«'c1i«'H 
against  tin*  pa.-siim'  of  tin'  hill.  Tiiis  was  tin*  lirst  iiicasun' 
tak«'ii  Ity  coiij^n'ss  wiiicli  t'lidrd  in  Hul).Hi'«jut'iit  si'ssioiiK  of 
that  Ixnly  ^raiilin;;  to  this  Htato  wvrral  millioim  of  a<Tt'H  of 
th«>  |)id)lir  <loiiiaiik  to  aid  in  hniltlin)^  railroads. 

On  tlu'  27th  of  January  1' rt'di'rifk,  yi»niim>Ht  win  »>f  i>.  .M. 
Coollmuj^h,  difil  a^^rd  nix  years. 

Th»'  Winn»'lm;.{o  i"liit>f  Winnrshii'k,  and  six  of  thr  principal 
nu'n  of  his  triU*,  Hrriv«'d  in  St.  Anthony  on  thr  *2")lli.  Tln-y 
wore  on  tlu'ir  way  to  Washington  for  the  piir|M)S(»  of  a  tn-aty 
with  thr  Tnittil  States  i^fovernnit'iit  with  referenco  t<)  their 
lands.  Winneshiek  declared  that  his  peoplit  conld  not  and 
wonld  not  remain  at  Lon^  I'rairie.  Xeitlier  tlu»  (j;overninent 
nor  he  <*ould  prevent  them  from  leavin><  their  reservation, 
whi<"h  tlu'V  hated  so  thorouj^hly,  and  until  a  new  and  better 
home  shonld  be  selected  for  his  nation  the  whites  above  the 
Falls  of  St.  Anthony  ninst  exjiect  to  be  moie  «)r  less  visiteil 
by  memU'rs  <rf  his  triln*. 

Two  men  by  tiio  iinmo  of  John  Ibirke  and  'lohn  Itanvil, 
working;  in  the  pineries  for  Jjconard  Day  of  St.  Anthony, 
wert' killed  by  the  Indians  on  Kiun  river. 

Tw«»  of  the  pastors  of  tlu»  churches  at  the  Falls,  Kev.  J.  ('. 
Whitney  of  Minnea|M>lis,  and  llev. .».  IJ.  Mills  of  St.  Anthony, 
and  presiding;  elder  Ib-v.  David  ]h'ooks  who  n-sided  in  St. 
Anthony,  each  re«'eive<l  presents  <if  valuable  sleij^hs  this 
winter.  ■dS't' 

On  the  b")th  <if  February  inc  >.jratifyin;^  news  was  receivnl 
t)f  the  extending  (»f  tin-  preemption  acts  by  con^^ress  to  settlers 
on  tlu*  nHM'nt  Fort  Snellin^  reservation.  IMiis  secured  to 
each  settler  his  home. 

Th»»  claim  a.ss«M'iation.  which  had  af-complished  such  a  ^reat 
iH'netit  to  the  settlej-s,  was  immediately  dissolved  on  the  news 
of  th»<  pa.ssaj^e  of  the  preemption  law,  which  was  re(»'ive«l 
with  >.(reat  satisfaction  by  the  settlers.  I*ublic  meetinj^s  were 
held  and  many  thanks  U'stowed  u|M»n  Henry  ,M.  l{ice,  Frank- 
lin Stet'le,  Dr.  A.  E.  .Vnu'S  and  «ithei"s  who  were  instnimental 
in  pushing;  the  liill  through  con^^ress.  The  mendters  of  the 
liutional  house  of  repivseutatives  from  lllini»is,  K,  IJ.  Wash- 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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202 


PEUSOXAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


biirne,  Wm.  A.  Richardson,  and  Col.  Thos.  H.  Benton  of 
Miss(niri,  took  part  in  tlie  debate  and  wnnnly  advocated  the 
interests  of  the  settlers.  Mi'.  Rice  made  sevex-al  s[)eeclies  in 
their  favor.  In  the  senate  Mr.  Stuart  of  Michigan,  Sti-phen 
A.  Douglas  and  Gen.  Jas.  Shields  of  Illinois,  and  Cooper  of 
Pennsylvaiua,  advocated  the  passage  of  the  bill,  while  Salmon 
P.  Chase  of  Ohio,  and  Senator  AValker  of  Wisconsin,  favored 
an  amendment  that  would  have  been  fatal  to  the  bill. 

AbouL  tlie  same  time  of  the  news  of  the  passage  of  the 
bill  through  congress  bringing  relief  to  the  settlers  in  Henne- 
pin county,  word  was  received  that  the  delegation  that  had 
been  sent  to  the  Ohio  river  for  a  steamboat,  had  been  success- 
ful, and  the  Falls  City,  Captain  J.  R.  Gilbert,  would  arrive  at 
the  Falls  on  the  opening  of  nuvigation.  This  important 
announcement  was  as  follows  : 

"  For  St.  Anthony,  M.  T.,  direct,  and  all  landings  on  the 
"upper  Mississi])i)i.  The  new  ami  substantial  steamer  Falls 
"City,  now  being  built  and  finished  at  "Wellsville,  Ohio,  J.  R. 
"Gilbert,  master,  will  leave  Pittsburgh  for  the  above  and  all 
"intermediate  landings,  on  the  opening  of  navigation  of  the 
"upper  Mississii)pi.  For  freight  or  passage  ap])ly  on  board, 
"or  to  John  Flack,  Pittsburgh,  R.  Cutler  or  P.  F.  Geisse,  Wells- 
"ville,  Ohio,  W.  Eberlmrt,  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  (}eo.  R. 
"West  &  Co.,  Dubuque,  Iowa,  R.  P.  Upton,  Z.  E.  B.  Nash, 
"D.  E.  Mcmlton,  St.  Anthony  Falls  ;  E.  Murphy,  John 
"  Jackins,  Minneapolis  ;  Rurbank  it  Co.,  St.  Paul.  The  Falls 
"City  is  an  entirely  new  and  speedy  boat  ;  i)owerful 
"  machinery,  built  by  Geisse,  of  very  light  draught,  excellent 
"accommodations,  will  be  splendidly  furnished  and  finished, 
"  built  expressly  for  the  St.  Anthony  steamboat  coTnjjany, 
"  under  the  immediate  supervision  of  R.  Cutler,  engineer  ; 
"and  Avill  run  as  a  regular  packet  from  Rock  Island  or 
"  Dubu(iue  to  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  through  the  season, 
"  rind  be  manned  l)y  careful  and  reliable  officers  and  men." 

At  last  the  fond  hopes  of  the  people  at  the  head  of  naviga- 
tion were  about  to  be  realized. 

Dr.  Ames  arrived  home  from  Washington  Marcl^  1,  having 
been  entirely  successiul  in  his  mission  to*  Washington.  A 
bill  had  been  introduced  in  the  legislature  which,  had  it 
become  a  law,  would  have  changed  the  relations  of  St.  Anthony 


OF   MIXNKSOTA  AND    :TH   VHOPLE. 


263 


t<)  us  on  the  west  hank  of  tlie  river  for  niuny  years,  if  not  for 
all  time  to  come.  Tlie  i)rovisi()ns  of  this  bill  were  to  make  a 
new  connty  out  of  IJenton  and  Eamsey.  Tlu^  southern  line 
was  at  Denoyer  s  ;  tlie  ncn-thern  a  mile  south  of  Itaska  ;  the 
eastern  the  Mississippi  river  ;  the  western  at  the  junetion  of 
the  two  hranches  of  liiim  river  ;  with  the  county-seat  at  St. 
Anthony.  Pr()hiil»ly  with  a  little  stronger  eifoi't  on  the  part  of 
the  citizens  of  St.  Anthou}',  the  ))ill  would  have  ])assed  the 
legislature.  AVith  two  countj'-seats  at  the  Falls  the  prosperity 
would  have  heen  iuci'eased,  hut  it  is  doiihtful  if  there  would 
have  heen  a  matrimonial  alliance  hetween  the  two  cities. 

There  were  fifty-one  teams  in  the  pineries  from  St.  Anthony 
during  the  winter.  A  mill  was  conunenced  at  the  junction  of 
Crow  river  with  the  Mississippi,  hy  E.  H.  Kohinson  and  John 
Baxter. 

ST.    ANTHONY    m'.COMKS   A   CITY. 

On  the  4:th  of  March  Dr.  Anu^s  arri\ed  from  Washington. 
St,  Anthony  was  no  longer  a  village  ;  the  legislature  had 
granted  a  city  charter  to  the  place.  At  the  first  city  election 
Henry  T.  AVelles  was  eleeted  inayor  over  John  Rollins  hy  a 
small  majority.  Both  candidates  were  very  poi)ular.  The 
other  officers  were  Lardner  Bostwick,  city  justice  ;  John  Orth 
and  Benjamin  Sjjencer,  aldermen  from  the  first  ward  ;  Daniel 
Stanchfield  and  Edward  Lippeucott,  froni  the  second  ward  ; 
Rohert  AV.  C'ummings  and  Caleh  D.  Dorr,  from  the  third 
wank  The  city  council  at  its  first  session  selected  AV.  F. 
Brawley  for  city  clerk,  Dr.  Ira  Kingsley  for  treasurer,  S.  AV. 
Farnham  for  assessor,  B.  J.  Brown  for  marshal,  E.  L.  Hall 
for  city  attorney,  Z.  E.  B.  Nash  for  collector,  Isaac  Gilpati'ick 
for  street  sapervisor,  and  Geo.  D.  Bowman  ...iv  city  pi'inter. 

A  terrific  wind-storm  on  Smiday,  March  21st,  swept  over 
Minneapolis.  The  roadway  of  the  new  suspension-l)ridge 
was  forced  frcm  the  cables,  the  castings  to  which  the  suspen- 
sion wires  were  fastened  giving  way  about  midway  hetween 
the  towns  on  either  hank  of  the  river.  This  was  the  most 
severe  storm  that  has  ever  j^assed  over  Minnea{)oli8  since  its 
settlement. 

On  the  27th  of  March  the  Republican  party  in  Minnesota 
was  organized  in  Central  hall  in  St.  Anthony.  AA^'m.  R. 
Marshall  occujiied  the  chair. 


264 


PERSONAL    RECOLliECTIONS 


..i  Farmers'  Club,  the  first  in  Minnesota,  was  established  in 
Minneapolis  with  Dr.  Ames  president,  N.  E.  Stoddard,  Chas. 
Hoag,  and  S.  W.  Case,  vice-presidents  ;  Allen  Harmon, 
treasurer,  and  Edward  Murphy  secretary.  This  was  the 
parent  <>£  these  oi'ganizations,  not  only  in  Minnesota,  but  the 
whole  northwest,  and  was  a  real  benefit  to  the  farmers. 

Holy  Trinity  church  in  St.  Anthony  was  consecrated  the 
first  Sabbath  in  April,  by  Bishop  Kemper  of  Wisconsin. 

The  citizens  on  both  banks  of  the  river  met  with  a  great 
loss  in  the  death  of  Shelton  Hollister,  one  of  the  most  prom- 
ising young  business  men  in  the  territory.  Mr.  Hollister  had 
only  been  married  a  short  time.     His  death  occurred  April  20. 

The  Minuetonka  mills  were  destroyed  by  fire  April  2d  ;  and 
about  the  same  time  the  stable  of  Mr.  John  Dugan  of  Rich- 
field took  fire  from  a  candle  in  the  hands  of  his  son  while 
taking  care  of  the  horses,  and  the  stable,  horses,  and  boy  were 
soon  reduced  to  ashes.  While  endeavoring  to  save  the  boy, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dugan  and  another  son  were  badly  burned. 

Hon.  Martin  McLeod,  long  an  Indian  trader,  abandoned 
that  business  and  settled  on  his  farm  at  Bloomington. 

The  trustees  of  the  district  school  in  Minneapolis  secured 
the  services  of  Mrs.  Hubbel,  from  Connecticut,  as  teacher  for 
the  spring  and  summer  terms.  Miss  Boyiugton  remained  as 
principal  in  the  select-school. 

The  two  new  steamers,  the  H.  M.  Rice  and  the  North  Star, 
with  the  Governor  Ramsey,  engaged  in  the  trade  from  the 
Falls  to  Sauk  Rapids.  Mr.  Calvin  Church  established  a  daily 
stage-line  from  Minneapolis  to  St.  PauT,  greatly  to  the  con- 
venience of  the  citizens  of  both  places.  In  consequence  of 
the  destruction  of  the  roadway  on  the  suspension-bridge  it 
became  necessary  for  Captain  Tapper  to  resume  service  with 
his  ferry  again.  Rev.  Seth  Barnes,  a  prominent  universalist 
clergyman,  arrived  in  St.  Anthony.  He  is  a  son-in-law  of 
Ezra  Dorman. 

The  proper  instructions  having  been  received  from  Wash- 
ington, by  the  local  officers  of  the  land-department,  the  settlers 
on  the  late  reservation  commenced  proving  up  their  pre- 
emptions. So  rapidly  were  their  homesteads  entered  that  by 
the  15th  of  May  most  of  them  had  their  duplicates. 


CHAPTEK  XXXVI. 


EXPLORING  EXPEDITTON   WESTWARD  THltOUGH   THE  BIG  WOODS. 


Now  that  my  old  ferry  farm  could  l)e  no  longer  used  for 
agricultural  purposes,  I  was  anxious  to  secure  another  farm, 
and  after  consulting  with  Hon.  Martin  McLeod,  who  was 
somewhat  acquainted  with  the  country  west  of  Minneapolis, 
it  was  decided  to  prospect  in  the  then  comparatively  unex- 
plored country  west  and  southwest  of  Minneapolis.  I  say 
comparatively  unexidored,  because  only  the  missionaries,  the 
Indian  traders,  and  the  voyageurs,  had  passed  over  that  region. 

PROMOTERS  OF  THE  ENTERPRISE  AND  MEMRERS  OF  THE   PARTY. 

During  the  early  pj  t  of  May  there  had  arrived  in  Minne- 
sota, from  dilferent  partf-  of  the  Union,  several  gentlemen 
who  wanted  to  select  homes  and  move  west  with  their  families. 
Among  them  were  Hon.  Samuel  Mayall,  a  member  of  congress 
from  Maine,  his  brother  James  H.  Mayall,  state  senator 
Vinton,  also  from  Maine,  Andrew  J.  Beli  of  Virginia,  and 
several  others,  who  desired  to  join  me  in  the  expedition. 
Their  object  and  mine  was  to  locate  in  a  new  country  where 
there  was  rich  agricultural  land,  and  where  no  claims  had 
been  taken.  Mr.  McLeod  was  to  be  the  guide  of  the  party, 
the  members  of  which  were  James  H.  Mayall,  M.  Vinton, 
Isaac  B.  Edwards,  A.  J.  Bell,  Hon.  Martin  McLeod,  and 
John  H.  Stevens,  with  George  Parks  as  teamster. 

A   JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   BIG   WOODS. 

The  i)arty  left  Minneapolis  on  the  morning  of  the  17th  of 
May.  The  first  night  they  encamped  at  uine-mile-creek. 
On  the  morning  of  the  second  day  they  were  joined  by  the 


ii 

''lit  J 

26G 


rEKSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS 


one  v'lio  WHH  t'>  ^uide  them  through  the  wilderness  to  the 
promised  bind.  The  coiinty  of  McLeod  bears  his  worthy 
name.  A  nuui  of  noble  form,  commivnding  ])resenc'e,  cultured 
intellet't,  ho  wms  dignified,  ehxpient,  ijevsuasive,  cliarming. 
The  second  day's  journey  broiiglit  us  tt)  a  brook  near  where 
the  village  of  Carver  now  stnnds.  From  this  point,  on  the 
morning  of  the  tliii'd  day  we  commenced  tlie  difficult  journey 
through  the  big  woods.  Turning  a  due  west  course,  on  the 
19th,  with  facilities  to  clear  the  way  for  teams,  the  way  was 
toilsome  to  tliost^  who  were  miaccustomed  to  swinging  the 
axe,  and  unused  to  felling  trees.  Before  noon  all  hands  were 
blistei'ed,  and  when  t  rvilight  came  we  wen^  only  eight  miles 
on  the  way.  Ethiopians  iieveT  had  faces  of  more  sable  hue. 
We  camped  for  the  night  on  tlie  shores  of  what  is  now  know:i 
as  Lake  Benton,  since  included  in  the  Lutz  farm.  During 
the  next  day's  journey  we  came  to  a  curious  ancient  building 
of  huge  oak-logs,  in  the  dense  foresl.  It  was  two  stories  high, 
without  doors  or  windows,  the  only  entrance  being  at  the  toj). 
Evidently  it  was  the  work  of  the  last  centuiy,  for  J.  S.  Let- 
ford,  H  member  of  the  legislature  from  Carver  county,  found 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  strange  structure,  in  the  centre  of 
a  nuiple  tree  he  had  cut  down,  and  which  was  at  least  a 
hundred  and  fifty  years  old,  a  pistol  of  French  niiinufacture. 
It  was  probably  concealed  iii  a  sa[)]ing  and  the  growth  of  the 
tree  had  encircled  the  weapon.  On  the  evening  of  the  20th 
Ave  camped  by  a  lake,  and  wild  animals  prowled  around  us 
all  night  long,  in  consecpience  of  which  Mr.  McLeod  called 
the  place  of  our  discomfort  Tig(>r  Lake,  a  name  it  beni-s  to 
this  day. 

THE   HOME   OF   THE   lUFKALU. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  we  found  an  Indian  trail 
and  followed  it  through  the  forest  to  the  prairie.  From  the 
dens(»,  shady,  native  woods,  to  the  open,  smooth,  sunny  plains, 
the  change  was  so  sudden,  and  the  contrast  so  great,  that  a 
new  world  of  wondrous  beauty  seemed  open  to  our  view. 
For  thi'ee  days  we  had  traveled  in  the  heavy  l)elt  of  timber 
which  extended  from  the  cloudy  waters  of  the  Minnesota  river 
to  the  borders  of  the  northwestern  open  coimtry  called  by  the 
red  men  Ta-tonka-ka-ga-pi,  or  the  home  of  the  buffalo.  From 
the  foliage  overhead,  trembhiig  in  the  breeze,  with  glimpses 


OF   MINNESOTA  AND   I'I'.S   I'KOPLE. 


207 


of  blue  sky  beyond,  we  hml  come  to  a  u^roundwork  of  living 
j^reen  o'ertopped  with  briy;lit,  delicate  tlowers  that  grncefiilly 
yielded  to  caresses  of  the  gentle  zephyrs  tliat  wafted  their 
fragrance  tons,  as  we  stood  with  uncovered  heads,  enchanted 
l)y  nnr  first  view  of  the  lonely,  lovely  wilderness,  now  first 
visited  l)y  white  men  for  settlement. 

A  few  days  previous  to  our  toilsome  journey  through  the 
woods  a  terribly  destructive  fin^  had  occurred  which  swept 
across  a  portion  1  >f  the  timber  land  over  which  we  traveled. 
It  was  said  to  haM>  originated  in  a  wigwam  midway  between 
the  Minnesota  river  and  the  prairie.  Tlu^lire  left  scars  upon* 
the  larger  trees  Avhich  are  visible  to  this  day.  In  crossing 
the  biirnt  district  every  step  taken,  and  every  l»low  of  the  axe, 
was  accompanied  by  a  shower  of  s(Jot  lilacker  than  tlie  ricli 
soil  of  that  region  that  produced  such  al)undant  harvest:-;  in 
after  years.  The  deep,  rich  loam,  when  roads  were  laid  out 
over  the  route  that  we  traveled,  when  soaked  by  copious  rains, 
caused  the  bottom  of  the  highways  to  fall  out. 

TAKING   P08SKSSION   OF   A   NATURAL   T-AWN   AND   PARK. 

The  lovely  vision  of  the  ])rairie,  dotted  with  groves,  extend- 
ing far  out  to  the  western  horizon,  gave  assuranc(>  that  the 
time  was  near  when  this  fair  domain  Mould  be  the  happy 
abode  of  man.  This  pioneer  party  predicted  that  before  the 
snows  of  anothei'  winter  should  Avhiten  the  landscai)e,  or  the 
rainbows  of  summer  crease  to  arch  the  clouds  with  a  halo  of 
gh)ry,  this  seeming  fairy  land  would  teem  with  an  enlightened 
class  of  immigrants  ;  a  prophecy  .soon  fulfilled,  for  the  Ta-st 
l)rairie  team  was  engineered  through  the  woods  to  that  land 
of  i)romise  (m  the  11th  of  June,  by  "  man  who  introduced  to 
the  present  townsite  of  Glencoe  a  cradl(%  and  was  the  father 
of  the  first  white  human  flower  in  that  region  that  blossomed 
with  a  smihi  upvui  its  mother's  l)osom.  That  father  is  now  a 
resident  capitalist  of  California,  AVm.  S.  ('hai)man,  and  that 
babe,  grown  to  maturity,  is  the  wife  of  a  son  of  I^.  S.  Grant. 

THE   TOWNSITE   OF   GLEXC'OK. 

There  was  a  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the?  j)oint  which  we 
should  select  for  the  center  of  the  colony  we  i)roposed  to 
introduce.  We  were  satisfied  with  the  soil,  timber,  prairie 
and  water.  Some  of  the  party  wanted  tt)  establish  the 
proposed  townsite  a  short  distance  we^t  of  the  crossing  of 


268 


PERHONAL    KECOLLECTIONH 


Buffalo  creek  ;  others  were  favorable  to  the  peninsula-shaped 
prairie  that  extended  into  the  timber  three  or  four  miles  ui> 
the  stream  from  the  crossing,  lifter  a  thorough  examination 
of  the  adjoining  country  it  was  decided  to  select  the  last-, 
named  i)oint.  This  was  the  origin  of  Glencoe.  Each  memlier 
of  the  party  selected  a  claim  in  the  vicinity.  We  continued 
oiir  journey  to  a  point  on  the  Minnesota  river  near  Traverse 
des  Sioux,  with  a  view  that  if  a  more  desirable  location  could 
bo  found  we  woidd  abandon  the  one  already  made.  We 
skirted  the  timber  to  High-Island  Lake,  now  New  Auburn, 
some  ten  miles.  From  the  lake  we  went  directly  to  the  Min- 
nesota river,  where  the  city  of  St.  Peter  now  stands,  where 
we  arrived  the  second  day  out  from  the  lake.  From  this 
point  we  followed  the  river  to  Bloomington  Ferry,  and  thence 
home.  The  entire  distance  traveled  presented  continued 
inducements  to  occupy  farms,  but  we  coiild  not  improve  on 
the  selection  already  made.  Vigorous  measures  were  taken 
to  call  the  attention  of  immigrants  to  the  advantages  of  the 
newly-exi)lored  country  for  agriculture.  Our  efforts  were 
attended  with  success,  and  by  fall  settlers  had  located  along 
the  rout^  we  had  traveled,  to  a  surprising  extent.  That  sec- 
tion is  now  among  the  most  favored  agricultural  communities 
of  a  favored  state. 


iili' 


:u- 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


MINNEAPOLIS   rUTTINO   ON   METUOPOLITAN  AIRS. 


Though  absent  from  Minneapolis  only  two  weeks,  we  found 
more  buildings  in  i)rocess  of  erection  than  there  was  in  the 
place  when  we  left.  AVe  found,  too,  that  the  village  had, 
what  it  never  contained  before,  a  burglar,  and  a  sneak-thief. 
TliO  store  of  Wm.  D.  Babbitt  was  broken  open,  one  night  in 
May,  and  some  two  hundred  dollars  in  money  stolen  ;  and  a 
sneak-thief  took  from  a  boarder  at  Mr.  Bushnell's  hotel  three 
hundred  dollars.  These  were  the  first  depredations  of  this 
character  in  Minneapolis.  A  span  of  horses  had  also  been 
stolen.  It  is  singular  that  neither  the  sneak-thief,  the  burglar 
or  the  horse-thief  were  ever  disco vei'ed  in  such  a  way  that 
they  could  be  punished. 

Just  about  this  time  a  young  man  committed  suicide  by 
cutting  his  throat,  another  attempted  to  cross  the  river  in  a 
canoe  and  was  drowned,  and  a  man  died  from  the  effects  of 
strong  drink. 

Up  to  this  time  we  had  been  proud  of  our  record  ;  but 
Minneapolis  was  no  longer  an  infant,  and  it  could  not  exjject 
to  retain  its  innocence  and  purity  when  we  could  no  longer 
select  the  persons  we  wished  to  have  make  homes  wdth  us. 
Again,  in  these  early  days,  the  prosperous  cities  away  uj) 
north  were  infested,  during  the  summer,  with  persons  known 
in  New  Orleans  as  wharf-rats,  who  came  up  the  Mississippi 
early  in  the  spring  and  returned  late  in  the  fall.  Heretofore 
St.  Anthony  and  Minneapolis  had  not  been  of  sufficient  size 
to  attract  the  attention  of  these  light-fingered  gentry. 

The  most  important  event  that  occurred  here  in  May  of 


270 


I'KliSON  \|,    IM'.rOLLECTlONS 


this  yoar  was  lln'  iiiipdrliition  l>y  Ca|)tfiiii  Kollins,  froju  Iowa 
and  llliiK/is,  hy  slraiiicrlo  the  St.  Anthony  sti'aiiiboat  landing, 
of  two  thonnand  hushcls  of  wlicut,  to  be  grotuid  nt  the  Hcn- 
n('])in  Island  tloiiring-niill,  of  which  Captain  Kollins  was  one 
of  tlu3  proprietors.  This  importation  of  grain,  on  the  2()th, 
was  the  suhjei-t  of  general  eoinment  by  the  business  men  of 
that  day  in  this  vieinity.  The  enterprise  whh  h  large  one  for 
those  times. 

There  was  not  sntflcient  wheat  raised  by  the  home  farmei's 
to  su))ply  the  tirst  merchant  mill  built  at  tlie  Fulls,  and  the 
owners  of  the  mill  had  to  depend  upon  Illinois  and  Iowa  to 
siipply  the  demaml.  How  different  in  the  same  locality  in 
1888,  when  theri^  was  delivered  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony 
4'i,r)')2,7;50  bushels  of  wheat,  all  the  jjroduct  of  the  northwest, 
and  of  this  large  amount  there  was  numnfactured  at  the  Falls 
7,()l)i),18U  barrels  of  Houi',  one-third  of  which  was  exported  to 
the  ohl  world  to  feed  the  hungry  inhabitants  of  Europe.  The 
combined  daily  capacity  of  the  twenty-two  tiour  mills  at  the 
Fulls,  in  1888,  was  ;-}7,475  barrels  ;  one  of  them,  the  Pillsbury 
A,  is  the  largest  mill  in  the  world,  with  a  daily  capacity  of 
7,200  barrels  ;  while  the  ancient  mill  (and  it  was  u  large  one 
for  the  times )  was  incapable  of  turning  (mt  more  than  one 
hundred  })arrels  pev  day,  and  was  idle  a  i)ortiou  of  the  time 
from  inability  of  its  owners  to  secure  enough  wheat  to  keep 
it  niiniing. 

During  the  tirst  half  of  the  year  several  young  couples 
in  Minneapolis  wisely  concluded  to  add  to  their  felicity  wed- 
ded bliss.  Among  them  were  Nelson  Pratt  and  Mary  A. 
Midwood,  Geo.  W.  Townsend  and  Martha  E.  Stough,  Joseph 
LeDuc  and  Elizabeth  Bertram,  Eli  B.  Gilford  and  Mary  F. 
Judd,  Jot:  i ah  P.  Harrison  and  Jane  E.  Haycock,  and  Edgar 
Nash  and  Virginia  V.  Bartholomew. 

Sheriff  Messer  completed  the  census  of  Hennepin  county 
early  in  the  summer,  and  his  returns  indicated  a  population 
of  4,171  a  large  number  considering  that  so  short  a  time  had 
elapsed  since  the  occupancy  of  the  county  by  the  native  red 
men.  Not  an  acre  of  her  lands  were  brought  into  market 
until  the  spring  of  1855. 

The  suspension-bridge  was  repaired  and  open  to  travel 
early  in  the    summer.     The  engineer  of  the  bridge,   Mr. 


OF   MINNF.SOTV    AND  ITS   PKOJ'LE. 


271 


Igar 


Griffiths,  WHH  proHcnted  with  a  valunbh*  token  of  appreciation 
of  hin  Hcrvices,  by  Mr.  SibU^y  and  other  directors,  on  th«' 
occasion  of  llic  completion  of  ihe  bridge.  There  wen*  two 
other  l)rul.Lfes  Imill  over  the  Mississippi,  a  year  or  two  after- 
WHrds  ;  one  opi)osite  Christmas'  addition  to  Minne»ipolis,  and 
the  otlier  op])osite  ("alviii  A.  Tattle's^  St.  Antliony  residence  ; 
but  tlie  susjiension-brid^e  outlived  them,  nnd  had  not  the  city 
council,  in  IS?."),  decided  to  replace  it  by  ii  liir^er  structure, 
it  would  undoid)tedly  havi;  been  a  y;ood  bridge  up  to  this 
time. 

.VnUIVAI.    OF   CAPITALISTS   AND    FltOFESSIONAL   MEN. 

As  the  Slimmer  app»\)iiched,  ther(»  arrived  in  Miniu'apolis 
Sinuin  V.  Snyder  and  Wm.  K.  McFarhnie,  l)oth  natives  of 
Pennsylvjinifi.  These  gentlemen  immediately  entered  into 
partnershij),  and  for  several  years  were  the  most  active  busi- 
ness men  in  Minneapolis.  Their  busine.ss  was  confined  to 
opei-ations  in  real-estate  and  banking.  This  firm  contributed 
very  largely  in  developing  tiie  -esources  of  Minneapolis,  fnid 
for  thnt  matter  the  whole  tei-ritory.  They  employed  a  large 
capital  in  their  business,  and  having  the  utmost  confidence  in 
the  country,  they  adopted  measures  to  spread  a  knowledge  of 
the  advantages  of  the  territory  thi-oughout  the  Union  by  dis- 
tributing a  lai"g(>  number  of  circulars  in  most  of  the  states. 
These  jjapers  contained  articles  setting  forth  the  advantages 
of  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony, 
as  well  as  the  whole  teri'itory ;  and  probably  to  Messrs. 
Snyder  &  McFarlane  are  the  citizens  of  Minneapolis  more 
indebted  than  to  any  others  foi"  the  rapid  i)rogress  in  the 
early  industries  on  the  west  side  of  the  Falls.  Nor  were 
their  good  works  confined  to  Minueai)olis  ;  they  extended  all 
over  the  territory.  To  these  men  are  many  farmers  indebted 
for  the  money  with  which  they  entered  their  land. 

Soon  after  the  Messrs.  Snyder  &  McFarlane  had  selected 
Minneapolis  as  their  business  center,  Hon.  C  H.  Pettit  came 
and  at  once  opened  a  banking-house.  Mr.  Pettit  was  one  of 
the  prominent  men  of  the  early  days  of  Minneapolis,  and 
worked  for  eveiything  that  could  benefit  the  place. 

H.  B.  Hancock  and  Uriah  Thomas  selected  Minneapolis  as 
their  residence  about  the  same  time.  Their  business  was 
dealing  in  real  estate  and  loaning  money.     In  addition,  Mr. 


i 


I 


i 


I 


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^ 


i 
A 

) 

St 


_5i 


^a 


■1 


272 


PKllSONAr,    UKCOLLKC  TKJNH 


Hjiiu'ock  wns  an  iiccoinpliKlu'd  lawyer.  This  firm  wns  for 
Hevcnvl  yonrw  very  j)r<)inin(Mit  in  Imsincss  circlt's  of  tli(>  ncigli- 
borhooil,  Hiul  contributed,  us  did  Messrs.  Snyder  A'  MeFarhine 
and  Pettit,  very  niueh  to  tlu?  prospei'ity  of  the  i)lace.  These 
three  firmn  introduced  into  Minneapolis  a  jj;ood  deal  of  capi- 
tal, and  comin<^  here,  as,they  did,  when  the  settlers  recjuired 
every  dollar  they  could  [jossibly  raise  to  pay  the  j^overnnient 
for  their  land,  which  had  just  come  into  market,  their  arrival 
was  most  welcome,  not  only  to  those  who  had  to  prove  up 
their  preempticjus,  but  to  the  business  uien  generally,  as  it 
afforded  them  an  op{)ortunity  which  had  never  existed  before 
of  obtaining  money  at  reasonabl(>  rates  of  interetit  whenever 
tlu^  emergency  of  their  business  recpiired  it. 

Early  this  summer  another  physician  was  introdxiced  into 
Miuneai)oli8,  Dr.  AV.  H.  Leonard  who,  from  the  time  of  his 
arrival  to  this  day  has  occupied  a  high  position  in  the  pro- 
fession. This  addition  to  the  citizenship  of  Minneapolis 
gave  us  three  resident  physicians,  viz.:  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  Dr. 
J.  8.  Elliott,  and  Dr.  YV'm.  H.  Leonard. 

There  was  a  great  scarcity  of  mechanics  early  in  this  build- 
ing season,  so  thut  when  L.  T.  Tabour  and  J.  Doty  came  up 
from  the  lower  country  and  decided  to  remain  in  Minneapolis, 
those  who  had  a  good  deal  of  masonry  work  found  no  diffi- 
culty in  its  completion.  Mr.  Tabour  is  still  an  honored 
citizen  of  Minneapolis. 

Hon.  Lewis  Harrington,  of  Hutchinson,  came  to  Minne- 
apolis at  this  time,  and  immediately  occupied  a  prominent 
position  in  the  engineering  requirements  of  the  county.  It 
will  be  readily  seen  that  the  village  was  fortunate  in  the  high 
class  of  immigration  in  the  early  summer  of  1855. 

AN   ABOLITION   CONVENTION   (CREATES   A    FLURRY. 

For  the  celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  July  a  committee,  of 
which  W.  D.  Babbitt  was  chairman,  secured  the  loan  of  a 
cannon  from  the  commanding  officer  at  Fort  Snelling,  which 
was  used  at  the  opening  of  an  abolition  convention  held  here 
on  that  day.  This  circumstance  created  qiiite  an  excitement 
in  the  community,  and  angered  the  military  authorities  at 
Fort  Snelling.  The  gun  was,  however,  used  previous  to 
the  meeting  in  welcoming  the  day  which  the  members  of  all 
political  parties  were  celebrating.     This  fact  coming  to  the 


OF    MINNKHOTA    AND    ITM    I'KOPT.K. 


273 


lent 

s  at 

to 

fall 

the 


attention  of  tlu>  commHiidinfjf  officcM",  iippcascd  his  wratli  at 
what  ho  considered  a  misusi*  of  it  at  the  abolition  iiu'ctiii^;. 
Thero  was  nmcli  connnrnt  in  the  papt-rs  in  rchition  to  th(^ 
affaii'.  Major  Sherman,  and  Captain  Uraj^j^  of  Bncna  Vista 
memory,  were  stationed  at  Fort  Snellin^  at  this  time. 

On  tlio  Gth  of  Jnly  a  meetinj^  of  the  s»>ttlers  (»n  the  late 
reservation  was  hehl  for  the  purpose  of  tenderinj^  a  dinner  to 
Hon.  H.  M.  llice  for  his  j^reat  service  in  aidinj^  tlie  passiij^e 
of  the  law  throiijj;li  congress  wlucli  secured  them  their  homes. 
A  committee  of  arranjj;ements  consistinj^  of  1{.  P.  llnssell, 
W.  A.  Hotchkiss,  D.  M.  ILmson,  S.  Hidden,  Edward  Murphy, 
Thomas  McBurney,  B.  F.  Baker,  Cleo.  E.  Huy,  John  Jackins 
and  John  H.  Stevens,  was  appointed  iov  the  occasion.  Mr. 
Rice  declined  the  invitation  in  a  letter  to  John  H.  Stevens, 
saying  that  he  only  jjerfcnuned  his  dvit; ,  rid  th(>  res-ult  was  as 
gratifying  to  him  as  it  was  beneficial  to  i  h.  m. 

DrSTINGUISHF.l)   V1HIT<  'US. 

Hon.  Charles  Sumner,  the  distiu  .uisln  d  mendx'r  of  the 
United  States  senate,  visited  Minneapolis  ■  >u  the  10th  of  Jnly. 
Jlle  was  surprised  at  the  beauty  and  growtli  of  the  jjlace. 
From  that  time,  during  his  long  service  in  the  senate,  he  was 
a  warm  friend  of  Minneapolis,  and  whenever  national  legis- 
lation was  required  for  the  benefit  of  iho  village  or  city,  he 
lent  a  helping  hand  in  securing  the  favorable  action  of  tlie 
senate. 

Hon.  Edson  B.  Olds,  member  of  congress  from  Ohio,  the 
father  of  our  register  of  the  U.  S.  land-office,  also  visited 
Minneapolis  early  in  July. 

There  was  considerable  feeling  in  regard  to  the  non-action 
of  the  commissioners  apjiointed  by  the  government  for  laying 
out  and  establishing  the  military  road  from  the  west  bank 
of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  to  Fort  Riilgely.  The  govern- 
ment had  granted  five  thousand  dollars  to  aid  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  road  after  it  was  established  by  the  commis- 
sioners. As  one  of  the  commissioners  I  had  always  been 
ready  to  perform  the  duty  assigned  me,  but  there  w'ere  two 
others,  and  their  presence  could  not  be  obtained  to  act  with 
me.  The  chief  of  the  corps  of  toi)ograijhical  engineers  in  the 
territory.  Gen.  J.  H.  Simpson,  could  not  api)ly  the  money 
because  there  had  been  no  legal  road  established.    Determined 


I 


I 


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,  ..■1, 


274 


I'EIiSOXAL   15ECCLLECTI0NS 


that  tlie  money  should  not  be  returned  to  the  United  States 
ti'e^sury,  stejjs  were  taken  at  this  time  to  complete  the  sur- 
vey of  the  road.  By  this  action  a  pretty  good  highwaj''  was 
established  from  the  Falls  to  the  east  bank  of  the  Minnesota 
river,  ujjon  which  Fort  Eidgely  was  bnilt.  This  was  the  only 
road  from  Minneajjolis  that  ever  received  aid  from  the  gene- 
ral government  ;  fdl  the  others  were  built  by  the  county  or 
by  ])rivate  subscriptions  of  the  peoj^le  immediately  interested 
in  them.  Of  course  in  the  early  days  the  ct)unties  had  no 
money  to  expend  on  the  ]niblic  highways,  and  as  a  conse- 
(pience  they  were  mostly  opened  and  worked  by  subscriptions 
until  siich  times  as  a  poll  and  i)roperty  road-tax  was  author- 
ized by  the  legisliitnre.  Fortunately,  as  ;i  general  rule,  it  did 
not  re([uire  any  very  large  sums  of  money  to  make  the  roads 
passable.     The  big-woods  was  an  exception,  however. 

It  was  now  (>vident  that  the  stock  in  the  sus])ension-bridge 
would  pay  a  good  dividend,  for  the  first  month's  receipts 
amounted  to  fourteen  hundred  and  eighty-two  dollars. 

A  severe  storm  swept  over  this  part  of  the  territory  on 
August  1st.  Several  houses  in  Minneapolis  were  damaged, 
and  the  i)ioneer  merchant  of  the  i)lace,  Thomas  Chambers, 
sutfered  severely. 

Dr.  C.  L.  Anderson,  of  St.  Anthony,  commenced,  August 
1st,  the  erection  of  a  brick  residence  on  Third  street  south, 
and  Dr.  J.  S.  Elliott's  elegant  brick  building  Avas  finished. 
The  latter  was  by  all  odds  the  finest  residence  in  the  place. 

The  whigs  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony 
were  considerably  sur])rised  that  the  St.  Anthony  Express, 
heretofore  a  strong  whig  paper,  had  become  a  democratic 
sheet.  The  announcement  was  made  in  the  first  issue  of  that 
paper  in  August. 

FIRST  USE  OF  GOVERNOR  STRVEN's  ROUTE. 

Malcom  Clark,  a  distinguished  trader  among  the  Blackfeet 
Indians,  ou  tiie  extreme  upper  Missouri  river,  utilized  Gov. 
Steven's  route  through  the  northwest  by  leaving  Sauk  Ilai)ids 
with  a  train  of  carts  loaded  with  merchandise,  bound  for  his 
trading-post  in  the  Rocky  mountains.  Mi*.  Clark  was  the 
first  man  from  the  Rockies  to  use  the  road  surveyed  by  Gov. 
Stevens,  and  he  found  it  a  good  one.     He  started  in  August. 

Rev.  Mr.  Creighton,  a  distinguished  divine,  from  Monti- 


OP    MINNESOTA   AND   ITS   PEOPLE. 


275 


kfeet 
Gov. 
apitls 
)r  Ills 
the 
Gov. 
igust. 
[onti- 


cello,  was  engaged  with  resident  ministers  at  the  Falls,  in 
delivering  temperance  addresses  during  August.  Up  to  this 
period,  and  for  more  than  a  year  afterwards,  there  had  been 
no  saloons  in  Minneapolis,  and  the  pastors  o£  the  several 
churches,  backed  by  a  large  majority  of  the  citizens,  were 
determined  there  should  be  none  in  the  future.  Mr.  Creigh- 
ton  was  a  brother  of  Col.  Wm.  Creighton  who,  with  Prof.  E. 
W.  Merrill  and  others,  were  the  founders  of  Monticello,  and 
were  i)roniin(Mit  in  the  territorial  years. 

Dr.  Geo.  H.  Keith  arrived  in  Minneapolis  during  the  late 
summer  and  made  it  his  ])ermanent  home.  He  became  a 
leading  citizen  of  the  place  ;  rejjresented  the  county  in  the 
legislature  ;  occupied  a  high  militarj'^  position  during  the  war, 
and  was  postmaster  of  the  city  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

At  a  joint  meeting  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Terri- 
torial and  Hennepin  county  agricultural  societies,  held  in 
Minneapolis  September  Sth,  it  was  detei-mined  that  the  two 
societies  should  join  fur  the  purpose  of  holding  a  fair  oi>. 
Wednesday  and  Thursday,  October  17th  and  18th. 

The  first  drug-store  in  Minnea})olis,  and  a  good  one,  was 
opened  on  Helen  street,  in  September,  by  Savory  &  Horton. 

BEGINNING   OF   A   UEPUBLICAN   ItULE. 

In  politics  for  the  first  time  the  issue  was  between  the 
democrats  and  republicans.  The  whigs  did  not  put  a  ticket 
in  the  field.  After  the  election  there  appt  ared  to  have  been 
a  Know-Nothing  ticket,  but  it  received  only  eighteen  votes  in 
the  county.  A  large  majority  of  the  whigs  voted  the  repub- 
lican ticket.  The  republicans  had  a  majority  of  about  twenty 
votes.  The  whole  number  of  votes  polled  in  the  county  was 
nineteen  hundred  and  fifty-five.  Two  of  the  republican  can- 
didates for  th(^  house  of  representatives  from  Hennejjin  county, 
Jas.  F.  Bradley  and  Thomas  Pierce,  were  elected,  as  was 
Arba  Cleveland  of  Carver  c(mnty.  J.  B.  Bassctt  was  the 
reiniblican  candidate  for  the  council.  He  carried  the  county, 
but  his  competitor,  H(m.  D.  M.  Hanson,  received  a  sufficient 
majority  in  Carver  county,  which  belonged  to  the  same  legis- 
lative district,  to  overcome  Mr.  Bassett's  majority  in  Henne- 
pin. Alexander  Gould  was  elected  county  commissioner. 
Allen  Harmon  was  elected  treasurer  by  ten  votes  over  J.  8. 
Johnson,  democrat ;  Lewis  Harrington,  county  surveyor  ;  and 


i 


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■'•i 


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276 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


mf  M 


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N.  Jenkins  and  S.  Cobuni,  assessors.  There  was  a  tie  vote 
between  Horace  H.  Shepley  and  J.  Bohanan  for  the  same 
office.  From  tlie  time  of  the  first  organization  of  the  repub- 
lican party  in  Hennepin  county  in  1855  to  the  present,  as  a 
general  rule,  the  county  has  been  republican. 

The  second  annual  fair  of  Hennepin  county  was  held  on 
the  17th  and  18th  of  October,  under  the  patrojiage  of  the 
territorial  society.  It  was  a  great  success.  Many  of  the 
counties  in  the  territory  were  represented.  The  annual 
address  was  delivered  by  Hon.  Martin  McLeod.  The  occa- 
sion brought  the  largest  concourse  of  people  that  had  ever 
gathered  in  the  territory.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history 
of  the  upper  Mississippi  valley  the  dairy  was  represented  by 
a  good  display  of  cheese,  the  product  of  Mrs.  J.  B.  Bassett. 
The  chairmen  of  the  different  department  committees  were 
Governor  Ramsey  of  St.  Paul,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Selby  of  St.  Paul, 
Captain  Holcombe  of  Washington  county  ;  N.  E.  Stoddard, 
Col.  E.  Case,  Charles  Hoag,  Franklin  Steele,  AV.  A.  Hotch- 
kiss,  and  Mrs.  B.  E.  Messer,  of  Hennepin  county.  At  the 
close  of  the  fair  the  following  officers  of  the  Hennepin  county 
agricultural  society  were  elected  for  the  year  :  John  H. 
Stevens,  president ;  Isaac  I.  Lewis,  secretary  ;  Dr.  A.  E. 
Ames,  corresponding  secretary ;  Col.  E.  Case,  treasurer ; 
N.  E.  Stoddard,  Asa  Keith,  Allen  Harmon,  Martin  McLeod, 
and  Norman  Jenkins,  executive  committee. 

BUSINESS   HOUSES  IN  MINNEAPOLIS  AT  THE  CLOSE   OF  THE  YEAR. 

Following  is  a  correct  list  of  the  business  houses  in  Min- 
neapolis in  the  fall  of  1855  :  Stores — Thomas  Chambers, 
Lewis  &  Edwards,  Jackins  &  Wright,  S.  Hidden,  J.  H. 
Spear  &  Co.,  Tuffts,  Reynolds  &  Whittemore,  Joseph  LeDuc, 
J.  E.  Fullerton,  L.  C.  Elfelt,  A.  F.  McGhee,  Davie  &  Calef, 
and  T.  L.  Bibbins.  Drug-stores  -Savory  &  Horton,  and  S. 
S.  Crowell.  Book-store— John  M.  Anderson.  Watches  and 
jewelry— E.  F.  Crain  and  J.  Farrant.  Painters — R.  A.  Smith, 
B.  E.  Messer  and  C.  Rummelsburgh.  Carriage-  and  sleigh- 
makers — J.  F.  Bradley  and  James  B.  Hunt.  Blacksmiths — 
I.  L.  Penny,  E.  Jordon  and  Brown  <fe  Co.  Boots  and  shoes — 
John  Wensinger,  J.  J.  Kennedy  John  French  and  Mr.  Loud. 
Gun-  and  locksmith — J.  Morrison.  Tailor— F.  Wilkin- 
son.    Bakery — Berkman   &  Bickford.     Harness-maker — W. 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND   ITS   I'EOPLE. 


277 


jeod, 


G.  Miir})hy.  Land-agents  -Carlos  AVilcox,  R.  Allison,  Sny- 
der &  McFarlane  and  W.  P.  Curtis.  Bankers — Snyder  «fe 
McFarlane  and  C.  H.  Pettit.  Surveyors  and  civil  engineers — 
Lewis  Harrington,  C.  W.  Christmas  and  H.  C  Smith.  Law- 
yers— Cornell  Sc  Hanson,  Atwater  &  Jones,  AV.  J.  Parsons  and 
H.  B.  Hancock.  Physicians—  Drs.  Ames,  Anderson,  Leonard, 
Wheelock  and  Rouse.  Newspaper — Northwestern  Democrat, 
W.  A.  Hotchkiss,  editor  and  j)roprietor.  Hotel  Minneapo- 
lis House,  C.  Bushnell,  proprietor.  Livery-stables — DeKay 
&  Bartholomew  and  J.  Kingsbury.  Dr.  Wheelock  only  re- 
mained a  short  time.     He  went  to  Clearwater. 

Up  to  this  time  there  was  only  one  saw-mill  on  the  Minne- 
apolis side  of  the  river,  and  no  grist-mill.  There  was,  as  the 
winter  set  in,  five  organized  churches  :  Presbyterian,  Rev. 
J.  C.  Whitney,  pastor  ;  Baptist,  Rev.  A.  A.  Russell,  j)astor  ; 
Rev.  E.  W^.  Cressey  and  Rev.  T.  B.  Rogers  had  occasionally 
preached  before  the  First  Bai)tist  society  previous  to  the 
arrival  of  Mr.  Russell ;  Free  Baptist,  Rev.  C.  G.  Ames ; 
Methodist  Episco])al,  Rev.  Mr.  Salisbury,  i)astor  ;  this  gen- 
tleman was  the  first  settled  pastor  over  the  Methodist  church 
in  Minneapolis.  That  denomination  had  no  church  building, 
but  the  meetings  were  held  over  T.  L.  Bibbin's  store  on 
Helen  street  ( now  Second  avenue  south ).  There  were  only 
two  associations  of  a  charitable  character,  the  Masonic  and 
Odd  Fellow's  organizations. 

It  cannot  be  doubted,  even  in  these  progressive  times,  that 
the  above  was  a  pretty  good  exhibit  for  a  one  year  old  village. 

ST.    ANTHONY   IMPROVEMENTS. 

The  progress  made  on  the  St.  Anthony  side  was  still  more 
remarkable.  Thomas  E.  Davis,  John  F.  Sanford,  and  Fred 
Gebhard  of  New  York,  had  become  interested  with  Mr. 
Steele  in  St.  Anthony  real  estate,  and  Richard  Chute  and 
John  S.  Prince  had  also  secured  a  large  interest  in  it. 

Hon.  D.  Morrison  had  now  arrived  in  St.  Anthony  and  had 
secured  the  ctmtract  for  fiirnishing  all  the  logs  necessary  for 
the  mills.  The  mills  had  been  leased  by  the  ])ro})rieto?"s  to 
Messrs.  Lovejoy  &  Brockway  for  the  year.  New  life  and  new 
energy  had  been  given  to  the  city.  The  home  demand  for 
lumber  had  been  so  great  that  the  mills  were  run  to  their  full 
capacity. 


■i-.'i 


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M-r''> 


278 


PEKSONAL    KEC0LLECTI0N8 


David  Edwards  had  built  a  large  stone  stioicture,  three 
storiep  high.  The  lower  story  was  for  stores,  the  second  for 
offices,  and  the  third  was  a  commodious  hall.  Mr.  Edwards 
occupied  the  lower  story  with  a  general  assortment  of  goods. 

NEW    BUSINESS   MEN. 

Among  the  new  business  men  for  lHo5  were  Crandall  &  Co., 
D.  M.  Anderson,  M.  M.  Goodwin,  Mrs.  Sayre,  Mrs.  Robin- 
son, Mrs.  J.  H.  Pearl,  Mrs.  Widdigen,  William  Harmon  & 
Co.,  G.  F.  Cross,  ^y.  E.  Forster,  Charles  Fi'sh,  J.  Pidding- 
ton,  Orrin  Curtis,  J.  J.  Monell,  Geo.  E.  H.  Day,  B.  Thomp- 
son, J.  &  G.  H.  Hawes  it  Co.,  Healy  &  Bohan,  J.  Good,  S. 
Kohle,  House  &  Bailey,  C.  Johnson  &  Co.,  E.  L.  Hem  pie  & 
Co.,  Geo.  Thurber,  and  J.  H.  Kelley.  Dan  Stimson,  Moses 
Hayes,  Geo.  A.  Nash,  N.  H.  Hemiup  &  Co.,  L.  G.  Johnson  & 
Co.,  Richard  Martin,  Tracey  &  Farnham,  Dr.  C.  W.  Le 
Boutillier,,  John  Bourgeoi.s,  Bassett  &  Learning,  and  J.  W. 
Monell,  had  all  got  nicely  under  Avay  in  business  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  new  year. 

John  S.  Pillsbury  selected  St.  Anthony  for  his  home  this 
year.  Not  only  the  citizens  of  Minneapolis,  but  the  people  of 
the  entire  state,  are  greatly  indebted  to  him  for  services  in 
a  public  and  in  a  private  capacity. 

H.  G.  O.  Mo  lison  also  settled  in  St.  Anthony  in  1855. 
He  too  was  a  valuable  acquisition  to  the  place. 

SCHOOLS,   OHUliCHES   AND   SOCIETIES. 

The  greatest  blessing  to  any  community,  and  more  espec- 
ially to  all  new  settlements-  churches,  schools,  and  benevolent 
societies — were  unusually  i)rosi)erous  in  St.  Anthony  during 
1855.  Rev.  Mr.  Nelson  was  the  resident  Methodist  minister. 
There  were  no  changes  in  the  pastors  of  the  other  churches. 
The  first  officers  in  the  Holy  Trinity  church,  J.  S.  Chaudjer- 
lain,  rector,  were  Henry  T.  Welles  and  William  Spooner, 
wardens  ;  and  J.  B.  Gilbert  and  Geo.  D.  Bownum,  vestrymen. 
Seth  Barnes  became  the  permanent  i)astor  of  the  Universalist 
church.  St.  Mary's  school  for  young  ladies,  under  the  direct 
superintendency  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Chamberlain,  had  a  large 
number  of  scholars.  Miss  Mary  L.  Knight,  IN'^iss  Kemiedy, 
and  Miss  Thompson,  were  teaehers  in  the  popular  institution. 
There  were  select  schools  opened  in  St.  Anthony  this  year — 
one  of  great  popularity  by  Prof.  D.  S.  B.  Johnson,  in  the 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


279 


academy  building  where  the  higher  branches  of  mathematics, 
natural  sciences,  and  ancient  and  modern  languages,  were 
taught.  Professor  Johnson  became  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent citizens  in  St.  Anthony,  and  for  years  with  great  ability 
edited  the  Express.  He  has  long  been  one  of  the  most  re- 
spected citizens  of  St.  Paul. 

Miss  Lucy  D.  Holman  taught  a  select  school  in  the  base- 
ment of  the  Congregational  church,  .which  was  well  patron- 
ized. The  two  district  schools  were  overflowing  with  scholars. 
Hon.  John  B.  Gilfillan,  our  late  member  of  congress,  was  the 
principal  of  one  of  them.  Prosperity  delighted  to  attend 
upon  the  after  life  of  most  of  the  early  teachers  in  St. 
Anthony.  Tlu^  ladies  were  happy  in  their  married  life. 
Mrs.  Thomas  Gardiner  (then  Miss  Knight)  is  now  the  only 
resident  in  Minneapolis  of  those  })ioneer  female  teachers. 

The  subject  of  education  was  a  matter  of  deep  concern  to 
the  early  settlers  of  Minneapolis,  and  it  was  taken  hold  of  by 
the  peo])le  in  a  most  commendable  way.  And  like  efforts 
were  general  throughout  Minnesota.  Tlie  annual  accessions 
to  the  population  were  of  the  most  reliable,  exterprising  and 
desirable  kind.  Among  them  were  men  of  capital  and  very 
enlightened  views.  The  foundation  of  the  magnificent  sys- 
tem of  unitui  schools  for  which  modern  Minneajwlis  is  so 
celebrated  was  really  laid  in  1855,  at  a  school  meeting  held  in 
the  largest  hall  in  the  village ,  on  November  28th.  Nearly 
every  resident  in  the  village  was  in  attendance.  Jolin  H. 
Stevens,  F.  R.  E.  Cornell,  and  J.  N.  Barber,  were  elected 
trustees,  and  Charles  Hoag,  R.  P.  Rixssell,  and  Dr.  H. 
Fletcher,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  confer  and  advise 
with  the  trustees  in  the  selection  and  purchase  of  a  site  for 
a  school-house.  On  motion  of  Mr.  Cornell  the  legislature 
was  petitioned  to  authorize  the  trustees  to  levy  a  tax  for  ten 
thousand  dollars  for  the  purchase  of  a  lot,  and  to  build  a 
house  on  it.  This  movement  eventually  secured  the  old 
Washington  school-house  grounds,  which  have  so  recently 
been  transferred  to  the  county,  upon  which  the  court-house 
is  being  built. 

The  Royal  and  Select  Masons  of  the  territory  received  a 
dispensation,  late  in  November,  from  the  proper  authorities 
in  New  York,  to  establish  a  council  in  St.  Paul.     The  charter 


^5| 


If 


i     1 


rpm^rr 


280 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


^ 


members  were  A.  T.  C.  Pearson,  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames,  John  H. 
Stevens,  Col.  E.  Case,  Geo.  A.  Camp,  Thomas  Lombarde,  and 
William  Lyon.  This  was  the  first  charter  for  a  council 
granted  in  Minnesota. 

The  celebrated  brothers,  the  Hutchinson  family,  consisting 
of  Judson,  John,  and  Asa,  visited  Minnesota  for  the  first 
time  this  late  fall.  They  were  anxious  to  become  interested 
in  a  new  town-site.  They  were  taken  through  the  woods  by 
way  of  Glencoe,  to  the  Hassan  river,  by  a  party  of  Minneap- 
olis friends.  They  were  so  charmed  with  the  country  that, 
in  connection  with  others,  they  laid  out  and  platted  Hutchin- 
son. The  Hutchinsons  became  prominent  in  Central  Minne- 
sota. They  are  all  gone  now,  except  John,  but  they  left  a 
noble  work  which  will  perpetuate  their  memory. 

FIRST   MORTGAGE   FORECLOSURE  IN   MINNEAPOLIS. 

On  the  29th  day  of  December  the  first  advertisement 
appeared  for  the  first  mortgage  foreclosure  in  Hennepin 
county.  Levi  Brown  was  the  mortgagee;  C.  H.  Elliott,  and 
I.  C.  Penney,  mortgagors.  The  property  to  be  foreclosed 
was  lot  ten  in  block  forty  in  the  original  plat  of  the  town  of 
Minneapolis.  Atwater  &  Jones  were  the  attorneys.  The 
whole  lot,  and  all  the  improvements  on  it,  was  sold  for  two 
hundred  dollars.  It  is  worth  to-day  more  than  two  hxmdred 
thousand,  without  the  buildings.  Property  has  come  up 
some  since  them. 

FIRST  SETTLEMENT   OF  CORCORAN   TOWNSHIP. 

Every  township  in  Hennepin  county  had  been  more  or  less 
occupied  by  settlers  ])revious  to  1855,  except  Corcoran.  Up 
to  that  year  it  had  remained  an  unbroken  wilderness. 
Though  one  of  the  best  agricultural  towns  in  the  county,  it 
was  the  last  one  settled.  In  the  spring  of  this  year  Benj. 
Pounder,  wlu)  whs  prospecting  for  a  claim  on  government 
land,  ventured  into  the  big-woods  and  selected  a  quarter- 
section  near  the  town-line.  He  had  scarcely  secured  the  logs 
for  the  erection  of  his  cabin  before  he  was  followed  by  Pat- 
rick B.  Corcoran  and  Morris  Ryan,  who  made  claims  and 
commenced  clearing  land  for  farms.  The  same  season  Joseph 
Dejardins,  Isaac  Bartlett,  John  McDonnell,  Prancis  Morin, 
Fred  Reinking,  Fred  Schuette,  and  one  or  two  other  farmers, 
occupied  land  ;  so  by  the  time  winter  set  in  there  was  quite 


OP   MINNEHOTA  AND   ITH   PEOPLE. 


281 


a  colony  in  the  town.  All  the  towns  in  Hennepin  county 
were  i^roHperous  during  1885.  Eden  Pi*airie  lost  its  pioneer 
this  year  in  the  death  of  N.  Al)1)t)tt. 

CHARACTER    OF    THE    FIRST    SMTTLERH    IN   HENNEPIN  COUNTY. 

There  were  at  the  time  of  the  completion  of  the  census 
this  year,  in  Hennej)iu  county,  1,128  families,  which  made  a 
population  of  4,171,  less  than  four  persons  to  each  family. 
The  question  is  often  asked  me,  "  By  what  class  of  persons 
was  Hennepin  county  settled  ?"  I  can  answer  that  at  the 
time  alluded  to,  that  is,  when  the  census  was  taken  in  1855, 
the  birthplace  of  the  head  of  each  family  was  ascertained, 
and  there  were  of  American  birth  among  the  pioneers  790,  and 
of  foreign  birth  338,  showing  452  more  heads  of  families  that 
were  American  than  there  were  foreigners  ;  but  w»5  were  not 
unmindful  of  the  fact  that  the  birthplace  of  a  man  did  not 
prove  or  disprove  his  merit.  But  it  was  a  matter  of  interest 
to  all,  and  served  to  attract  to  each  settlement  like  national- 
ities and  kindred  spirits,  whether  they  were  Irish,  French, 
Germans  or  Americans  ;  and  it  is  doubtful  if  any  county 
could  show  a  more  intelligent  and  ilidustrious  people  than 
the  first  settlers  in  Hennepin  county. 

The  valuation  of  taxable  property  had  increased  from 
$54,363  in  1853,  to  $157,000  in  1854,  and  $505,781  in  1855  ; 
showing  a  wonderful  increase  of  wealth  added  to  the  county 
in  a  short  period. 


JTW"^ 


?J 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


EVENTS  OF  THE  YEAU  EIGHTEEN  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY-MIX. 

On  Wednesday  tlio  second  dfiy  or  January  the  Minnesota 
State  Agricultural  Society  held  its  annxial  meeting  in  St.  Paul. 
Governor  Ramsey  was  elected  president.  The  vice-presidents 
were  John  H.  Stevens  of  Hennepin,  John  H.  Hartenbower 
of  Olmstead,  Clarke  AY.  Thompson  of  Houston,  Samuel  Hull 
of  Fillmore,  Arba  Cleveland  of  Carver,  William  Fowler  of 
Washington,  General  James  Shields  of  Rice,  John  Wakefield 
of  Scott,  Prof.  E.  W:  Merrill  of  Wright,  Lewis  Stone  of  Ben- 
ton, N.  M.  Thompson  of  Dakota,  William  Freeborn  of  Good- 
hue, C.  F.  Buck  of  Winona,  A.  F.  De  LaYergne  of  LeSueur, 
Chas.  E.  Flandreau  of  Nicollet,  and  B.  F.  Hoyt  of  Ramsey. 
Treasurer,  J.  AY.  Selby  of  St.  Paul.  Secretary,  Dr.  A.  E. 
Ames  of  Minnea})olis.  Executive  Committee,  Charles  Hoag, 
Henry  H.  Sibley,  N.  E.  Larpenteur,  L.  M.  Ford,  andAYm.  H. 
Nobles.  It  was  voted  that  the  first  annual  fair  be  held  iu 
Minneapolis  in  October,  at  which  time  the  election  of  officers 
for  1857  should  be  had.  Judge  Norton  H.  Hemiup  was 
a[)pointed  postmaster  of  St.  Anthony  early  in  January,  in 
place  of  Hon.  Lucius  C.  AA'alker. 

BUFFALOES  AT  THE  HEAD  OF  SAUK   RIVER. 

Two  very  large  herds  of  buffaloes  came  down  from  the 
northwest,  late  in  the  fall,  and  at  the  beginning  of  January 
were  grazing  near  the  head  of  Sauk  river,  some  fifty  miles 
west  of  St.  Cloud,  and  they  remained  in  that  vicinity  for 
several  months.  This  Avas  the  last  appearance  of  these  ani- 
mals in  the  Sauk  river  country. 

The  United  States  land-office  was  opened  in  Minneapolis 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND    ITS    PFOPLE. 


283 


on  the  Otli  of  October,  1854  There  hnd  Ixh'U  paid  into  the 
office  by  the  settlers  on  the  west  siih'  of  tlie  river  for  their 
liomes,  mostly  in  Hennepin  county,  np  to  .ranuury  1st,  185(J, 
the  large  sum  of  $199,770  98.  The  number  of  acres  entered 
was  150,071.  To  this  should  be  added  10,700  acres  covered 
with  military  land-warrants  ;  making  the  whole  nund)er  of 
acres  entered  at  the  office  since  the  establishment  of  the  office 
up  to  January  1st,  1850,  100,831.  The  nund)er  of  preemp- 
tions allowed  was  a  little  less  than  1,000.  The  parties  resid- 
ing at  the  FiiWh  who  entered  the  largest  amoiuit  of  land  were 
Carlos  AVilcox,  who  secured  about  2,000  acres  ;  H.  G.  O. 
Morrison  and  Eichard  Chute,  jointly  a  little  over  1,500  acres. 
All  the  rest  of  the  land  went  into  the  hands  of  farmers,  actual 
tillers  of  the  soil  ;  industrious,  thrifty,  moral  and  intelligent. 
January  was  exceedingly  cold,  but  this  did  not  prevent  the 
people  of  St.  Anthony  and  Minneai)olis  from  attending 
lyceunis,  dancing-])arties,  and  amusements  generally. 

ST.  ANTHONY  ANNEXED  TO  HENNEPIN  COUNTY. 

The  legislature  passed  an  f.ct  annexing  St.  Anthony  to 
Hennepin  county.  The  same  bill  contained  ])rovisions  to 
locate  the  county  buildings  in  the  lower  town.  No  measures 
of  a  public  character  had  ever  created  .so  much  excitement  in 
this  communit}',  and  it  was  many  years  bt-fore  the  bitterness 
engendered  ceased. 

Minnea])olis  received,  during  the  winter,  sfeveral  citizens 
who  became  prominent,  in  the  ])ersons  of  Hon.  Delano  T. 
Smith,  and  Hon.  David  Morgan,  and  others,  who  added 
greatly  to  the  industries  of  the  city. 

The  sad  news  was  received  that  Dr.  F.  W.  Ripley,  a  young 
physician  of  unusual  merit,  was  frozen  to  death  in  a  storm 
while  making  a  journey  from  Glencoe  to  Forest  City.  He 
was  accompanied  by  Mr.  John  McClelland  of  Glencoe,  whose 
feet  W'ere  frozen  so  severely  as  to  render  amputution  neces- 
sary above  the  knees.  Dr.  Ripley  had  iftade  his  home  in  the 
family  of  Hon.  D.  M.  Han.son  in  this  city.  The  information 
of  Dr.  Ripley's  fate  was  received  in  Minneapolis  on  the  same 
day  that  Mr.  Hanson  died.  A  citizen  of  Hutchinson,  a  Mr. 
Collier,  perished  in  the  same  storm. 

As  spring  ai)proached  the  improvements  in  St.  Anthony 
and  Minneapolis  were  beyond  all  precedent.     Activity  and 


i4 


■ss 


■^^f^"" 


liil 


mM: 


284 


I'EHHUNAL    hECOLLECriONS 


projjfress  cliaraeterized  l)oth  places.  Over  fifty  buildings  wer& 
in  ])roce88  of  erection  iu  MinueapoliH,  und  hh  nmny  more  in 
St.  Anthony.  The  proKperous  Beason  commencing  bo  early, 
plainly  indicated  that  Minneajiolia  at  least  would  double  in 
pojjulation  and  improvements  before  the  close  of  navigation 
in  the  fall  of  1856. 

The  municipal  election  ni  St.  Anthony  resulted  in  the 
election  of  Alvaran  Allen  for  Mayor.  The  contest  was  a 
spirited  one.  Mr.  Allen  being  a  thorough  business  man, 
made  a  good  Mayor. 

The  average  value  of  lots  in  Minneapolis,  in  the  spring  of 
this  year,  was  only  five  dollars  each.  There  were  about 
two  thousand  of  them,  which  added  ten  thousand  dollars  to 
the  valuation  of  taxable  property  in  the  city. 

Among  the  improvements  commenced  were  those  of  Col. 
Cyrus  Aldrich,  Sidney  Smith,  and  William  Garland,  each  one 
building  fine  residences  ;  while  Ivory  D.  Woodman,  and 
several  others,  erected  fine  business  blocks. 

Minnehaha  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  No.  1  was  organ- 
ized this  spring.  A.  F.  McGhee  was  elected  foreman,  and 
AVm.  A.  Todd,  secretary.  This  was  the  first  fire  organization 
in  Minneapolis,  and  it  was  a  good  one. 

Carlos  Wilcox  resigned  the  postmastership,  and  Dr.  A.  E, 
Ames  was  appointed  in  his  stead.  Two  new  saw-mills  were 
added  to  the  industries  at  the  Falls,  that  of  D.  W.  Marr  ou 
the  St.  Anthony  side,  and  that  of  Pomeroy,  Bates  and  Co.  on 
the  west  side.  Both  were  steam  mills.  J.  M.  Winslow  com- 
menced the  erection  of  a  large  hotel  in  St.  Anthony.  The 
Minneapolis  Water-power  Improvement  Comi^any  was  organ- 
ized May  20th,  Hon.  Xiobert  Smith  president,  D.  Morrison 
treasurer,  Geo.  E.  Huy  secretary,  with  Messrs.  R.  Smith,  D.' 
Morrison,  G.  K.  Swift,  Geo.  E.  Huy,  R.  P.  Russell,  Dr.  J.  S. 
Elliott,  and  J.  S.  Newton,  directors.  The  capital  stock  was 
$60,000.  From  this  small  beginning  the  present  mighty  and 
well-regulated  system  of  controlling  the  vast  water-power  of 
the  Falls  has  matured.  Only  one  of  the  original  incorpora- 
tors is  now  connected  with  it,  Hon.  D.  Morrison,  and  he 
owns  much  more  than  his  original  interest  in  the  property. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  State  Univer- 
sity, on  the  26th  of  May,  Franklin  Steele,  president,  in  the 


OF   MINNESOTA  AND   ITS   I'EOrLE. 


285 


chair,  on  motion  of  Hon.  H.  H.  Sibiey,  socondt^d  by  John  H. 
StevenH,  it  was  rcsolvt'd  thnt  bonds  be  issued  for  fifteen 
tliousand  dolhirs  in  sums  of  not  lessthaii  one  lliousand  dollars 
each,  with  interest  not  to  exceed  twelve  per  cent  i)er  annum, 
to  be  nsed  for  the  erection  of  buildings,  and  to  j)urcliase  more 
land  ndjoinin«j;  the  I'niversity  site.  The  building  committee 
consisting  of  Judge  Meelxcr,  Jolin  H.  Stevens,  8.  Nelson,  A. 
M.  Fridley,  and  Isaac  Atwater,  were  instructed  to  solicit 
plans  for  the  bnilding.  The  Board  t)f  Regents  of  the  I'ni- 
versity  of  Minnesota,  in  May,  185G,  were  Franklin  Steele 
president.  Fort  Snelling  ;  Ex-Governor  Ramsey,  Hon.  H.  M. 
Rice,  and  Rev.  J.  (I.  Rheildaffer,  St.  Paul  ;  John  H.  Stevens 
and  Isaac  Atwater,  Minneapolis  ;  Judge  B.  B.  Meeker,  and 
A.  M.  Fridley,  St.  Anthony  ;  Hon.  A.  Van  Yorhis,  Socrates 
Nelson,  and  Mahalon  Black,  Stillwater,  and  H.  H.  Sibley  of 
Mendota.  This  was  tlie  commencement  of  the  steps  taken  to 
erect  the  biiildings  necessary  for  the  University. 

On  the  29th  day  of  May  the  site  for  the  unitm  school- 
house  of  Minneapolis  was  selected  by  the  trustees  and  voters. 
It  was  the  northwest  half  of  block  77.  The  i^urchase  was 
made  from  W.  D.  Babbett  for  two  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars.  In  1887  this  same  grouiid  was  sold  to  the  county  to 
"be  occupied,  with  the  other  half  of  the  block,  by  county 
buildings,  for  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  not 
counting  the  school  building  on  it.  Something  of  an  increase 
in  value  during  the  thirty-one  years.  The  trustees  immedi- 
ately i^roceeded  to  ei'ect  a  double  brick  school-house  which, 
when  completed,  was  the  best  building  of  the  kind  north  of 
St.  Louis.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1864.  In  this  old 
building  the  celebrated  Professor  Stone  for  years  presidcnl, 
and  graduated  as  good  scholars  as  any  teacher  in  the  west. 
Many  of  our  present  best  business  men  were  instructed  in 
that  old  house,  such  as  Clinton  Morrison,  Ira  Murphy,  the 
Ames  boys,  the  Hedderleys,  and  many  others.  Nor  should 
we  neglect  to  mention  that  many  of  the  daughters  of  the 
pioneers  of  Minneapolis,  who  are  now  the  first  ladies  of  the 
city,  and  proud  mothers  of  interesting  children,  were  edu- 
cated under  the  humble  roof  of  that  old  school-house.  This 
was  the  first  union  school  in  Minnesota  and  the  memory  of 
it  and  its  first  principal,  is  fondly  cherished  by  the  hundreds 


I 


280 


I'EUhONAL  KKCULLECriONH 


vvlu)  wcro  p(lu('nf<Ml  ilicrr,  nn  well  mh  l)y  tlicir  ])nrpnfs  ami 
^imnliiuiH.  More  tliiin  ii  wore  of  Htiitcly  wliool  pditicps  at 
this  tiiiio  adorn  MinncnpoliH,  for  tin-  cducaticni  of  Hotim  ci^dit- 
<!(Mi  tliouHand  children,  l)ut  tlu'ro  was  nioro  ])ri(le  in  tlio  iirHt 
union  ncliool-liouse.  lnnnl)le  aw  it  was,  than  in  any  that  have 
been  built  since. 

As  a  matter  of  I'ecord,  1  ^vill  mention  that  the  liJth  of  June 

IH")!)    was  the  coldest  day  for  the  season  of  the  vear   over 

known  by  the  jiioneers.     St(»ves  were  replaced  and  fires  Imilt. 

C<ild  as  was  the  season,  there  was  a  j^ood  crf>p  in  the  territory. 

Mri!l>KltS  AM)  orntAdKs. 

Many  crimes  were  conunitted  in  June.  On  the  11th  a 
younLC  married  wojunn,  Afrs.  Mary  Jane  Hathaway,  wife  of 
John  A.  Hathaway,  was  murdered  at  their  hom(3  on  Crow 
river,  in  what  is  now  Hassan  township.  Tho  family  hud 
recently  settled  on  their  claim.  Tho  unfortunate  lady  was 
shot  through  the  head  with  a  i)istol.  Her  litth?  child,  about 
fourteen  months  old,  was  found  playing'  in  its  mother's  blood. 
Every  effort  was  made  to  discover  the  murderer,  but  to  this 
day  the  brutal  fellow  seems  to  have  escaped  T>unishnient. 
Mrs.  Hathaway  was  unusually  re»j)ectecl  byt'  few  settlers 
at  that  time  on  Crow  river.  .  On  the  12th,  Su  i,  a  Dakota 
t;ii-l,  aged  about  ton  years,  an  adopted  daughter  of  M.  S. 
Whallen  of  Oak  Grove,  while  Iut  foster-mother,  a  neighbor, 
Mrs.  Ames,  and  three  little  children,  one  of  whom  was  Susan, 
were  in  the  sitting- roou),  several  Chippewa  Indians  entered, 
threw  little  Susan  out  of  the  door,  cut  her  throat,  scalped  her, 
and  fled  before  the  men  Avho  were  near  by  could  reai  h  the 
house.  This  Dakota  girl  had  been  given  to  Dr.  Williamson 
by  her  })arents  at  Kaposia,  when  she  was  five  or  six  years  old. 
She  had  lost  the  little  knowledge  she  once  had  of  her  native 
language,  and  only  her  marked  Indian  features  remained  to 
indicate  her  origin.  Mr.  Pond,  of  blessed  memory,  her  neigh- 
bor and  pastor,  saw  in  her  evidence  of  Christianity.  Mrs. 
"Whallen,  under  whose  care  she  was  making  good  progress  in 
all  that  was  desirable  to  prepare  her  for  usefulness  and  hap- 
piness here  and  hereafter,  loved  her  as  a  daughter.  Two 
other  residents  of  Hennepin  county  had  recently  met  violent 
deaths,  and  so  strong  was  the  feeling  of  the  citizens  of  the 
county  in  regard  to  these  brutal  murders,  that  a  mass  meet- 


OP    MINNESOTA  AND   ITS   PEOPLE. 


287 


inK  of  r-ifi/ens  wuh  held  on  June  17th,  in  IJih-Ium-'k  liall.  lo 
tnkc  cnorj^t'tic  action  to  punisli  the  perpetrator.  Rev.  A.  A. 
Knsseil  \v(is  called  to  ilic  chair,  aiicj  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames  was 
appointed  secretary.  .)ohn  H.  Stevens,  I.saac  Hrown,  Sannnd 
Hidden,  Dr.  II.  I'^h'ti-her,  and  .1.  11.  Spear,  were  Hi)pointed  a 
t'omniittee  to  express  the  demands  of  justice  in  tlu'se  tryinjj; 
events  wiiicii  have  clomh'd  tlie  jjjood  name  of  tlie  connty. 
John  U.  Stevens  reported  the  foUowing,  winch  was  nnani- 
nionsly  adopted  : 

"Tins  connty,  for  tlie  tirst  time  in  its  history  has,  dnring 
"  tlu>  past  week,  l»een  visited  with  wilfnl  and  nudicions  ninr- 
"  ders,  atteiided  i)y  a  liarherous  and  fiendish  spirit,  wliich  <'all 
"  loudly  for  a  decided  expression  of  the  sentinnMit  of  tlie 
"people  ;  that  it  is  the  duty  of  every  law-id)iding  citizen  and 
"  every  lover  of  jnslice,  to  use  liis  utmost  endeavor  to  liriiig 
*' tlie  perpetrators  of  the.se  foiil  crimes  to  punishment  ;  that 
"while  we  cannot  restore  the  lo.st  lives,  o' blot  out  the  oiit- 
"  rages  that  have  been  inflicted  upon  individuals,  oi-  the  wrongs 
"  to  their  families  and  citizens  generally,  we  can  and  will 
"take  measures  to  punish  the  guilty  ;  that  we  have  full  con- 
"fidence  in  the  i)ower  of  the  civil  authorities  to  impartially 
"ndminister  the  laws,  and  to  legally  punish  all  crimes  ;  that 
"■we  deprecate  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  individuals  to 
"  resort  to  violence,  or  to  take  the  execution  of  the  law  into 
"their  own  hands." 

Other  crimes,  of  the  worst  character,  wen^  committed  at 
this  time.  Thougli  thirty-tliree  years  have  passed,  none  of 
the  murderers  have  been  apj)reh<>nded  or  ])rought  to  justice, 
and  probably  they  never  will  be.  Mr.  S.  A.  Jewett,  father- 
in-law  of  Dr.  Keith,  and  brother-in-law  of  our  respected 
citizen,  J.  S.  Johnson,  paid  a  high  tribute  of  respect  to  the 
memory  of  one  of  the  murdered  men,  John  P.  Allen.  There 
were  no  other  depredations  committed  upon  the  lives  of 
citizens  of  the  county  for  nniny  years. 

THE  STATE   FAIR. 

The  executive  committee  of  the  Minnesota  Agricultural 
Society  met  on  the  16th  of  June  and  decided  to  hold  a  fair  in 
the  fall.  Hon.  H.  H.  Sibley,  chairman  of  the  committee, 
headed  the  movement  by  contributing  fifty  dollars  to  the 
enterprise.     Other  members  of  the  society  signed  liberally. 


wv 


rEUHONAi.   UKOOLLECriONS 


Si! 


Some  twelvo  hniulrod  dolliirs  whs  raised  by  tlio  citizens  of 
Miiiiioapolis  to  jmi}'  ])reiniunis.  Simon  P.  Snyder  was  chosen 
trt'iisurer  in  place  of  J,  "NV.  Selby,  rivsigned. 

On  the  24th  of  Juno  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society  hold 
ft  meeting  to  lay  the  corner-stono  of  tiio  society's  hall.  The 
address  on  the  occasion  was  by  Lieut.  Maury,  U.  S.  Navy. 
Unfortunately  the  building  was  never  com{)leted. 

The  contract  for  building  the  court-house  was  let  on  the 
25th  t)f  June  to  Charles  Clarke,  recently  from  Steuben  county. 
New  York.  Mr.  Clarke  and  his  ncconiplished  family  were 
valuable  additions  to  Minneapolis.  The  late  Hon.  Charles 
W.  Clark(»,  so  prominent  in  agricultural  matters,  was  the  eld- 
est son  of  Ml'.  Clarki'. 

The  cai'avau  from  Red  river  arrived  ahead  of  time  this 
year.     It  was  exceedingly  rich  in  furs  and  j)emmican. 

The  Northwestern  Democrat  had,  up  to  this  time,  been  an 
uncomj)rojnising  d(>mocratic  paper.  The  issue  of  July  5th 
came  out  a  strong  Republican  sheet.  It  created  a  good  deal 
of  excitement.  From  that  period  Major  Hotchkiss,  the  editor 
and  proprietor,  never  swerved  from  what  he  considered  his 
political  duty,  and  for  the  next  year  or  two  made  it  lively  for 
his  old  dom.ocratic  friends. 

A  contract  was  let  July  3  to  Messrs.  Stone,  Boomer  &  Boy- 
ington,  to  build  a  new  bridge  over  the  Mississippi,  in  the 
lower  town,  for  i^G.OOO. 

On  the  6th  of  July,  through  some  unknown  agency,  the 
projecting  rock  broke  from  the  precipice  o^er  which  the 
wuier  pours  on  the  west  side  of  the  Falls,  which  destroyed  the 
mill-race  and  suspended  all  operations  of  the  saw-mills. 

The  lirst  real,  live  observance  of  the  Fourth  of  July  by  the 
united  twin  cities  iook  place  in  a  grove  on  Nicollet  Island. 
Free  access  to  the  island  was  generously  granted  by  the 
Bridge  company.  George  E.  H.  Day  presided.  The  Divine 
blessing  was  asked  by  Rev.  A.  A.  Rnssell.  Dr.  George  H. 
Keith  gave  the  address  ;  followed  by  C.  C.  Gray  and  Rev. 
Mr.  Nelson. 

Secretary  J.  Travis  Rosser  resigned  his  office  in  conse- 
(^ueuce  of  the  ill-health  of  his  wife, 

A  Mr.  Dillon  established  a  fishery  near  thr  lower  ferry. 
For  years  he  supplied  us  with  fresh  fish. 


OF  MINNESOTA   AND   ITS   PEOPLE. 


289 


Minneapolis  wnH  no  longer  a  village.  On  the  12tli  of  July, 
185G,  Isaac  i.  Lewis  had  a  capital  of  fort};  thousand  dollars 
employed  in  hvi  trade.  M^^ssrs,  Ames  &  IJasconib,  from 
Hennepin,  Illinois,  had  Ihirty  thousand  dollars  invested  in 
their  dry-goods  business,  and  Messrs.  Jackins  and  Wi-ight 
had  as  much  more  money  in  their  store,  while  Samuel  Hidden, 
L.  C.  Elfelt,  John  H.  S|)ear  &  Co.,  .1.  ]i.  Atkiiuson,  Joseph 
LeDuc,  Tufts,  lieynolds  <t  ^\  iiittemore,  A.  J..  McCihee,  Mar- 
tin Ferrent,  Bibbinstt  Bigelow,  L.  W.  Hmry,  Savory  tfe  Hor- 
ton,  S.  8.  Cro"' 11,  and  E.  H.  Davir,  ^'mph)y»Hl  a  large 
cfipital  and  enjoyed  a  large  ti'ade.  Messrs.  Snyder  &  Mc- 
Farlane  had  a  capital  of  ^180,000  in  their  land-agency  and 
banking  outfit.  Hon.  C.  H.  Petit  had  a  capital  of  .^150,000 
in  his  bjink  and  land-ageu'-y.  Hancock  <fe  Thomas,  Carlos 
Wilcox,  Dan  11.  Barber,  nr.(]  Delano  T.  Smith,  all  had  many 
thousands  of  dollars  at  tlicir  command. 

There  were  early  in  July  the  following  c(mtractorswhohad 
all  the  work  they  could  possibly  do  :  Chas.  X.  Daniels,  Joseph 
Dean,  Reuben  Robinson,  J.  E.  Patterson,  A.  K.  Hartwell, 
J.  B.  Ferrin,  D.  M.  Foss,  John  L,  Tenney,  Arnell  &  Wilson, 
and  Kingsbury  &  Ward. 

Of  the  many  booms  that  have  passed  over  Minneapolis 
since  the  land  Bales  in  1855,  there  was  none  that  exceeded 
that  in  the  summer  of  1856.  Many  who  arrived  that  summer 
became  prominent  citizens.  The  city  was  favored  with  such 
men  as  Rev.  D.  B.  Knickerbocker,  now  Bishop  of  Indiana, 
Chas.  E.  Vanderburgh,  D.  Y.  Jones,  S.  H.  Jones,  Daniel  R. 
Bar\)er,  Erastus  N.  Bates,  Adolphus  Bradford,  Robert  R. 
Brj'nnt,  Daniel  Bassett,  and  C.  A.  Weidstrand. 

A  union  board  of  trade  was  organized  the  first  of  July  with 
the  following  officers  ;  Hon.  D.  Morrison,  president  ;  Richard 
Chute  and  John  Jackins,  V.  P.;  I.  I.  Lewis,  corresjjonding 
secretary  •  N.  H.  Hemiup,  recording  secretary  ;  R.  P.  Upton, 
Treasurer  ;  Edward  Murjjhy,  R.  P.  Russell,  8.  Hi(hlen,  Sam- 
uel Stanchfield,  and  Daniel  Edwards,  directors.  Committee 
on  commerce,  Richard  Chute  and  John  Jackins. 

A  military  company  was  organized  at  the  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony,  called  the  Falls  City  Light  Guards,  on  the  15th  of 
July.  The  following  officers  were  commissioned  by  the  Gov- 
ernor :  Captain,   H,   R.   Putnam  ;  lieutenants,  J.    J.  Clarke, 


ii 


■it 


'  •  r  "  r;i'~ 


290 


PEBSONAL    KEC0LLECTI0N8 


and  J.  Hollistei'.  Mmiy  of  the  members  of  this  company 
became  distinguished  soldiers  during  the  war  for  tlie  Union. 
Some  of  them  attained  high  military  appointments.  This 
was  the  first  organization  of  a  military  company  at  St. 
Anthony. 

I  have  already  alluded  to  the  first  school-house  built  in 
Minneapolis,  but  as  a  matter  of  liistory  in  regard  to  it  I  copy 
the  following  notice,  which  api)eared  in  the  Democrat,  in 
Minneapolis,  August  2d,  1856  : 

"  Sealed  proposalo  will  be  received  imtil  6  o'clock  p.  m., 
"  August  15th,  1856,  for  building  a  school-house  in  Minne- 
"  apolis,  according  to  th-i  i)laus  and  specifications  to  be  seen 
"at  the  office  of  Dr.  C.  L.  Anderson,  in  Savory  &  Horton's 
" drug-store,  Helen  street,  Minneapolis.  (Signed)  John  H. 
" Stevens,  F.R.  E.  Cornell,  C.  L.  Anderson,  Board  of  Trustees." 

Andrew  Jackson  Morgan,  an  editor,  and  a  pioneer  of  Min- 
nesota, died  at  St.  Paul  Augiist  25th.  Mr.  Morgan  was  a 
native  of  Ohio,  and  was  an  early  and  good  friend  to  Minne- 
apolis. I  had  known  Mr.  Morgan's  brother.  Gen.  Geo.  W. 
Morgan,  in  Mexico.  His  mother  was  a  .-iis:er  of  one  of  the 
secretaries  of  the  United  States  Treasury,  and  gave  my  sec- 
ond daughter  her  name.  Mr.  Morgan  was  only  twenty-eight 
years  old  at  the  time  of  liit:  'l^^ntli. 

On  the  21st  of  August  Dr.  A.  E.  Johnson,  of  St.  Anthony, 
discovered  nearly  four  feet  of  the  remains  of  a  Dikelocephulus 
Minnesotansis,  immediately  below  the  Falls,  where  workmen 
were  blasting  for  the  mill  of  Eogers  &  Co.  The  specimen 
was  a  very  large  and  jjerfect  one.  It  was  taken  from  a  piece 
of  rock  that  had  occupie- 1  about  the  middle  strata  of  the  upper 
magnesian  limestone.  Owens,  the  geologist,  speaks  of  this 
rare  and  imperfectly-known  species  of  fossil  as  being  first 
found  ninety  or  one  hundred  feet  below  the  base  of  the  lower 
magnesian  limestone  war  the  margin  of  Lake  St.  Croix  above 
Stillwater. 

A  tri- weekly  stage-line  was  established  August  25th  between 
Minneapolis  and  Monticello,  by  Messrs.  Hanson  &  Libbey. 
It  was  a  great  convenience  to  the  citizens  residing  on  the  line 
of  the  route,  as  well  as  to  the  p  )ople  of  Minneapolis  and  Mon- 
ticello. 

The  farm  of  Mr.  Christmas  was  laid  out  and  platted  as 


OF   :JINNE80TA  AND   ITS  PEOPLE. 


291 


men 
imeii 
liece 
upper 
this 
first 
ower 
above 

tween 
ibbey. 
16  line 
Mon- 

3d  as 


North  Minneapolis.  Isaac  I.  Lewis  and  Captain  John  C. 
Reno  purchased  an  interest  in  the  new  town-site.  Messrs.  A. 
Wolcott  &  Co.  purchased  a  block  of  land  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  from  the  proprietors  of  North  Minneapolis,  and  com- 
menced the  erection  of  a  large  steam-mill. 

A  postoffice  was  established  at  MoflPett  &  Pettijohn's  mill, 
near  Minneapolis,  and  James  A.  Dinsmore  appointed  post- 
master. The  name  of  the  postoffice  was  Harmony.  This  is 
the  same  postoffice  that  is  now  called  Richfield.  At  the  time 
the  postoffice  was  established  the  town  was  known  as  Rich- 
land. Afterwards,  by  a  vote  of  the  citizens,  it  was  changed 
to  Richfield,  and  then  the  postoffice  took  that  name,  and 
remains  so  to  this  day. 

On  the  11th  of  September  Thomas  Warwick,  a  pioneer,  and 
one  of  the  bt  ot  citizens  of  Hennepin  county,  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  E.  Smith. 

The  Democrat  speaks  of  a  herd  of  short-horns  brought 
from  Kentucky  for  Messrs.  Hoag  and  J.  H.  Stevens. 
They  paid  a  large  price  for  some  thirty  head,  but  the  agricul- 
ture of  the  territory  was  not  sufficiently  developed  to  make  it 
profitable  to  raise  blooded  stock.  A  scrub  would  bring  as 
much  in  market,  those  early  days,  as  a  short-horn,  unless  it 
was  for  beef. 

The  Republican  party  was  thoroughly  organized  in  Henne- 
pin county.  Dr.  H.  Fletcher  headed  the  party  in  Minne- 
apolis, and  H.  G.  O.  Morrison  in  St.  Anthony.  The  following 
were  the  original  Republicans  in  Minneapolis  :  J.  B.  Bassett, 
A.  K.  Hartwell,  T.  Petti jolm,  AVm.  G.  Moffett,  John  M. 
Styles,  J.  H.  Spear,  Joseph  LeDuc,  J.  M.  Anderson,  Lyman 
Case,  Joseph  H.  Canney,  W.  H.  Rouse,  Samuel  Franklin, 
Simeon  K.  Odell,  Allen  Harmon,  E.  A.  Hodgdon,  E.  S. 
Jenks,  Zehites  Downs,  S.  Clarke,  T.  \V.  Pierce,  Delano  T. 
Smith,  Henry  C.  Keith,  Z.  M.  Brown,  Asa  Keith,  W.  A. 
Hotchkiis,  A.  Crain,  F.  Duhren,  Josiah  Orthoudt,  and  Alfred 
Murjjhy.  Such  men  as  Judge  Cornell  and  others  soon  fell 
into  line. 

The  original  Republicans  in  St.  Anthony  were  H.  G.  O. 
Morrison,  Lardner  Bostwick,  Dr.  J.  H.  Murphy,  8.  W. 
Famham,  William  Spooner,  Dr.  C.  W.  Le  Boutillier,  G.  G. 
Loomis,   Alonzo  Leaming,   Richard  Chute,  Henry  Meniger, 


Ill  p 

m 

it 

IM 

)  jyi. 

™ 

4 


292 


PERSONAL  RE0OLLECTION8 


Geo,  P.  Baldwin,  J.  C.  McCane,  James  M.  Jarrett,  E.  TV. 
Cutter,  J.  C.  Joliiisoii,  John  Glaus,  Casper  Kopp,  Geo.  A. 
Nourse,  R.  P.  Upton,  Wni.  H.  Townseiul,  Thomas  T.  Newell, 
J.  H.  McHerron,  John  Lucksinii;er,  Stephen  Cobb,  C.  Keller- 
man,  Martin  Conzet,  H.  Webber,  T.  Smith,  J.  W.  Gillam, 
Francis  Swett,  R.  W.  Cummings,  ]3an  S.  Balch,  E.  Lippin- 
cott,  William  Lashelle,  Dr.  H.  W.  Gould,  J.  B.  Hix,  M.  W. 
Getchell,  J.  Macomber,  and  David  A.  Secombe. 

This  was  a  formidable  list  of  prominent  men  in  the  two 
cities.  The  Whigs  and  Democrats  were  about  e(|u^lly  divided 
as  to  those  who  composed  tiie  new  party.  Such  old  Whigs 
as  Isaac  Atwater,  and  A.  M.  Fridley,  became  Democrats. 
John  W.  North  had  left  his  home  in  St.  Anthoii}-  and  taken 
up  his  residence  in  the  new  town  of  Northfield.  This  accounts 
for  the  omission  of  his  name  in  the  St.  Anthony  list. 

In  Richfield  the  original  Reijublicans  were  Gen.  R.  L. 
Bartholomew,  J.  H.  Perkins,  R.  Robinson,  William  Finch, 
William  and  James  ])insmore,  Deniscm  Townsend,  George 
Gillmore,  C.  Couilard,  Job  Pratt,  Jesse  Richardson,  R.  Van 
Valkenburg,  and  Samuel  Stough.  In  Bloomlngton,  William 
Chambers,  R.  B.  Gibson,  S.  A.  Goodrich,  M.  S.  Whallon,  and 
J.  Harrison.  In  Eden  Prairie,  W.  C.  Collins,  Cai)tain 
Terrell,  J.  S.  P.  Ham,  and  A.  D.  Rouse.  In  Excelsior,  Ste- 
phen Hull,  O.  Wilcox,  P.  M.  Gideon,  and  Rev.  C.  Galpiu. 
In  Minne tonka,  S.  Bartow,  James  Shaver,  jr.,  and  H.  S. 
Atwood.  In  AVayzata,  W.  B.  Harrington,  John  S.  Harring- 
ton. In  Brooklyn,  Rev.  J.  W.  Dow,  A.  H.  Benson,  Ca])tain 
John  C.  Plummer,  C.  D.  Kingsley,  J.  M.  Durman,  A.  B. 
Chaffee,  Rufus  Pratt,  and  Dea.  Palmer.  In  Chamiilin,  W. 
W.  Gate,  W.  AV.  Woodman,  AV.  Hayden,  John  AA' alker,  and  J. 
M.  Mullholland.  In  Maple  Grove,  AA^  E.  Evans,  G.  B. 
Brown,  and  Dea.  R.  R.  AA^oodward.  In  Dayton,  S.  Anderson, 
J.  B.  Hinckley,  N.  Herrick,  A.  C.  Kimball,  and  A.  Clarke. 
In  HaPrtan,  H.  S.  Norton,  and  J.  McLenlock. 

It  'jhould  not  be  supposed  that  the  above  list  contains  all 
of  the  original  Republicans  in  the  several  towns,  but  those 
led  off  in  the  new  party.  The  citizens  in  the  new  counties  of 
Carver  and  McLeod  also  became  deeply  interested  in  the 
Republican  party.  The  leaders  in  the  former  county  were 
Isaac  Burfield,  Robert  Miller,   John   S.  Letford,  George  M. 


OF   MINNESOTA  AND   ITS  PEOPLE. 


293 


Powers,  Heary  M.  Lyiuftii,  A.  W.  Adams,  Theo.  Best,  L.  H. 
Griffin,  H.  H.  Williams,  S.  D.  Hurd,  and  A.  Keller.  In  the 
latter  county  James  Phillips,  R.  A.  Grimshaw,  Lewis  Harring- 
ton, A.  J.  Bell,  W.  W.  Pendergast,  William  S.  Chapman, 
Henry  Elliott,  B.  E.  Messer,  C.  L.  Snyder,  James  Chesley, 
James  Pollock,  A.  J.  Snyder,  John  Hubbard,  and  IT.  Wilson. 

Many  in  the  above  list  have  occupied  high  i)ositions  in  both 
the  civil  and  military  history  of  the  Northwest. 

The  second  annual  territorial  fair  came  oif  in  Minneapolis 
October  8,  9  and  10.  Governor  Alexander  Ramsey,  the  pres- 
ident, gave  the  annual  address.  Tlie  fair  was  a  success  in 
every  department.  It  was  attended  from  all  parts  of  the  ter- 
ritory. The  fair  grounds  were  on  what  is  now  Tenth  street, 
•  Minneapolis.  Over  two  thousand  dollars  were  paid  out  in 
premiums.  At  least  half  of  this  money  was  received  at  the 
gates  ;  the  other  half  was  made  up  by  the  citizens  of  Minne- 
apolis, as  follows  :  Steele  «fe  Stevens  §50,  Henry  T.  Welles 
$25,  Parsons  &  Morgan  $25,  Snyder  k  McFarlane  $25,  L.  AV. 
Henry  $25,  W.  G.  Murphy  $25,  Savory  &  Horton  $25,  T.  L. 
Bibbins  &  Co.  $25,  Lewis  &  Bickford  $25,  E.  H.  Davie  $25, 
James  Hoffman  $25,  E.  Case  $25,  Isaac  Atwater  and  Richard 
Martin  $25,  Hancock  &  Thomas  $25,  E.  H.  (!rane$25,  John 
H.  Spear  &  Co.  $25,  A.  E.  Ames  $25,  Martin  McLeod  $25, 
R.  Chute  $25,  R.  P.  Russell  $25,  Edward  Murphy  $20,  Charles 
Hoag  $25,  M.  L.  Olds  $30,  William  Hanson  $15,  F.  R.  E. 
Cornell  $15,  Charles  Hepp  $10,  S.  S.  Crowell  $10,  Martin 
Ferrant  $10,  Allen  Harmon  $10,  Alex  Moore  $10,  John  George 
Lennon  $10,  M.  L.  Cook  $10,  Richard  Stout  $10,  E.  S.  Jones 
$10,  W.  D.  Babbitt  $10,  Henry  Cluimbers  $10,  B.  F.  Baker 
$10,  A.  K.  Hartwell  $10,  Henry  S.  Plumnier  $10,  Francis 
Morrison  $10,  George  D.  Richardson  $10,  M.  C.  Baker  $10; 
George  W.  Chowen,  George  E.  Huy,  Sweet  W.  Case,  William 
Dickie,  Smith  &  Charlton,  H.  S.  Birge,  C.  C.  Berkman,  Wil- 
liam D.  Garlo'.iJ,  H.  G.  O.  Morrison,  C.  W.  Boru])  and 
C.  H.  Oakes  ten  dollars  each  ;  Delano  T.  Smith  $15,  Carlos 
Wilcox  $15,  Alexander  Ramsey  $25,  H.  H.  Sibley  $50,  W.  A. 
Gormai  10,  and  Calvin  A.  Tuttle  $15  ;  A.  L.  Moore,  J.  B. 
Atkinson,  C.  L.  Anderson,  Calvin  Church,  J.  R.  Webb,  N.  E. 
Stoddard,  E.  Hedderley,  George  A.  Nourse,  R.  P.  Upton, 
David  Edwards,  J.  P.  Wilson,  John  L.  Tenney,  W.  W.  Wales, 


li 


^m 


294 


I'KHHOXAL    KECOLLECTIONH 


J.  J.  Kennedy,  Tufts  &  Keynolds,  Albert  AVebster,  Robert  O. 
Neil,  E.  F.  Parker,  Normau  W.  Kittson,  and  Isaac  Van 
Etten,  five  dollars  each.  The  list  is  only  given  that  the 
present  geiienilion  may  luiow  the  liberality  of  the  pioneers  of 
Minneapolis. 

The  officers  elected  at  the  annual  meeting  for  1857  were 
Henry  H.  Sibley  of  Dakota  county  ])resident,  and  a  vice- 
president  from  each  county  in  the  territory.  Dr.  Ames, 
Secretary  ;  S.  ]*.  Snyder,  Treasure!*. 

A  large  party  under  the  auspices  of  Dr.  C.  L.  Anderson 
and  several  citi/ens  of  Minueajjolis,  e.\})lored  the  country  west 
of  Glencoe  this  fall.  They  discovered  the  Kandiyohi  lakes, 
and  named  several  bodies  of  water,  which  names  are  retained 
to  this  day.  Lake  Lillian  took  its  name  from  the  wife  of  E. 
Whitefield,  the  artist  of  the  expedition. 

The  totid  number  of  votes  polled  in  Hennepin  county  this 
year  was  1,7G1,  against  73  four  years  previously.  This  exhib- 
its the  renifirkable  rapidity  with  which  the  county  has  become 
populated. 

A  fatal  explosion  occurred  at  the  lar.<"^  steam  saw-mill  of 
Pomeroy  &  Bates,  at  the  mouth  of  Bassett's  creek,  this  fall, 
killing  Mr.  Hays  the  engineer.  This  was  the  first  accident  of 
the  kind  that  ever  occurred  in  Minneapolis. 

The  real  estate  transactions  w(>re  lively  in  both  the  cities  at 
the  Falls  during  the  late  fall  and  early  winter.  Judge  Bas- 
sett  sold  his  entire  fnrm,  consisting  of  140  acres,  to  William 
D.  Garland  and  A.  Bradford.  The  r^nce  was  two  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  per  acre.  J.  S.  &  D.  M.  Demmon  purchased 
eighty  acres  from  Francis  Morrison,  at  good  round  figures. 
The  citizens  on  the  eiist  side  of  the  Falls  subsci'ibed  sixty-five 
thousand  dollars  for  the  building  of  a  railroad  from  the  Falls 
to  St.  Paid. 

Ivoiy  F.  AVoodman  &  Co.  established  a  pork-packing  house 
in  Mimieapolis.  This  Avas  the  commencemcait  of  the  pork 
business  in  Minnesota. 

Hartwell  &  Co.  opened  a  wood-yard  in  the  city,  the  first 
enterprise  of  the  kind  at  fehe  falls. 

E.  F.  Grain,  proprietor  of  the  city  jewelry-store,  had  built 
in  the  upper  story  of  his  new  block  a  prominent  cupalo  in 
which  he  placed  a  town  clock,  the  first  in  the  territory. 


OF   MIXNKSOTA    AND    IPS    I'KOl'LE. 


295 


Minneapolis  received  a  larj^e  addition  to  liei*  population  this 
yeui',  men  of  f^reat  merit,  and  some  of  tlieni  l)ecame  well  known 
throngliout  the  Union.  Among  them  w(>re  Colonel  C'yrns 
Aldrich,  Judge  C.  E.  Vanderhurgh,  Rt'v.  1).  1).  Knickerbocktu', 
now  Bishop  of  Indiana,  Eugene  M.  Wilson,  William  S.  Heath, 
H.  A.  Partridge.  John  FL  Hatton,  Ered  Clialmcrs,  (J.  W. 
Paulding,  S.  P.  Spear,  AVilliam  B.  Cornell,  T.  M.  Linton, 
H.  L.  Birge,  L.  M.  Kiefer,  B.  J.  Mendenhall,  Thomas  G. 
Barnes,  G.  H.  Hamlinton,  M.  V.  Smitli.  William  A.  Todd, 
Adoli)hus  Bradford,  (leo.  H.  Woods,  H.  V.  Snnth,  David 
Charlton,  Ji.  \V.  Henry,  Thomas  Hale  Williams,  J.  C.  Sher- 
burne, (ieorge  1).  Richardson,  .).  liussell  AVebb,  Winslow  T. 
Perkins,  John  H.  Spear,  Charles  iv.  Sherburne,  C.  D.  David- 
son, and  J.  C.  Reno. 

AV.  M.  Barrows  arrived  in  St.  Antlumy  this  year.  His 
brother,  Fvvd  C.  preceded  him  Ihe  i)revi<ms  year.  The 
brothers  have  acct)jnplished  much  in  the  lumber  business. 
Frank  Beelu^  cast  his  lot  with  the  peoi)le  of  Minneapolis,  and 
became  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  in  this  state.  Daniel  R. 
Barber,  long  an  intlueutial  citizen,  came  this  year.  Dr.  A. 
L.  Bausman,  one  of  the  ])ioneer  dentists,  was  a  valuable  addi- 
tion this  year,  ffohn  and  his  brothei'  Nicholas  Bolferding 
also  became  residents  of  Minnea[)olis,  as  did  T.  M.  Bohan  of 
St.  Anthony.  Other  residents  this  yeai-  w(M-e  R»  E.  Bryant, 
Josiali  H.  Chase,  R.  P.  Dunnington,  August  Eude,  Harlow 
A.  Gale,  Thomas  K.  Gniy,  Elias  H.  Moses,  J.  AV.  Munson, 
Peter  Rauen,  Godfrey  Scheitlin.  and  O.  T.  Swett.  Many  of 
these  names  became  jjnmiinent  in  tlu'  history  of  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Falls. 

There  were  two  new  church  l)uildings  erected  during  the 
year  ;  the  Episcopal,  Rev.  1).  B.  Knickerbacker,  rector  ;  and 
the  Methodist,  Rev.  W .  11.  St.  Clair,  pastor.  Rev.  Mr.  Rob- 
inson succeeded  Rev.  C.  G.  Ames  as  ])astor  of  the  Free-will 
Baptist  church,  and  on  the  organization  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church  Rev.  Norman  McLeod  was  chosen  its  first 
pastor.  Mr.  McLeod  was  a  brother  of  Martin  McLeod,  and 
is  a  man  of  great  ability.  The  tnistees  of  the  church  were 
Charles  Clarke,  E.  N.  Bales,  Samuel  Hi(hlen,  B.  E.  Baker,  L. 
P.  Chase,  AV.  K.  McFarlane,  Dr.  AA\  H.  Leonard,  C.  E.  Van- 
derburgh,  and  Mr.  AA'^fdcott.  .  . 


!! 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


REMINISCENT  REVIEW  OF  EVENTS  OF  THE  PAST. 

The  year  1856  was  a  prosperous  one,  not  only  for  the  citizens 
of  Hennepin  connty ,  1  )ut  for  those  of  the  whole  territory.  The 
two  lovely  sister  towns,  St.  Anthony  and  Minneapolis,  so  fair 
to  look  upon  in  their  youth  and  rural  beauty,  had  expanded 
into  thriving  cities.  As  I  cannot  in  detail  further  follow  the 
progress  and  marvelous  development  of  the  now  united  cities 
I  will  merely  repeat  that  Minneapolis  proper  was  first  settled 
in  1849,  but  there  were  only  a  few  families  here  for  several 
years  thereafter  ;  and  I  will  add  that  the  first  settlers  were  as 
happy  in  their  poverty  as  their  descendants  now  are  in  their 
wealth.  Tho  pioneers  were  as  contented  in  their  rude  cabins, 
with  plain  surroundings,  coarse  clothing  and  homely  fare,  as 
others  who  now  live  in  elegant  mansions,  with  costly  furnish- 
ings, cradled  in  luxury,  and  reposing  on  couch  <^s  of  ease.  It 
refiuir*'.!  fortitude  to  meet  the  trials  incident  to  a  new  country, 
but  the  frontier  life  had  its  charms.  The  hardships  incident 
thereto  strengthened  us  for  good  deeds  and  unselfish  work, 
that  made  ixs  better  citizens.  All  were  seemingly  on  a  level. 
Those  were  hai)i)y  days  of  free  and  cordial  social  life  and 
charming  simplicity.  There  were  no  schools,  but  most  of  the 
children  were  babes,  and  they  had  refined  and  educated  moth- 
ers. There  were  no  ministers  of  the  gospel,  but  we  observed 
■the  sabbath.  Far  away  from  the  soiiud  of  tiie  church-going 
bell,  we  yet  rested  from  our  labors  one  day  in  seven  at  least. 
On  Sunday  wnves  were  particular  in  having  each  one  of  the 
family  tidy.  Our  clothing,  though  coarse,  was  substantial  and 
comfortable.  Compared  with  the  more  ample  dress  and  costly 
vestments  of  recent  date,  our  raiment  would  now  be  unfash- 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


297 


ionable  ;  but  parents  of  the  present  time,  if  thrown  upon 
their  own  rf^sources  and  dependent  upon  their  industry,  coukl 
not  better  sustain  themselves  and  their  families  in  respecta- 
ble honest  i)overty  ;  and  with  the  greatest  resj)ect  for  them, 
we  must  say  that  it  is  to  be  doubted  if  they  woxild  as  cheer- 
fully make  the  effort.  To  the  untiring  industry  and  intelli- 
gence of  the  ])ioneer  ladies  of  Minnesota  we  were  all  indebted 
for  domestic  hajjpiness,  that  now  seems  to  have  been  bliss. 

In  looking  back  upon  the  events  of  the  past  forty  years  in 
Minneapolis  I  seem  to  awake  from  a  dream.  The  transform- 
ation (!an  scarcely  be  realized.  Nearly  every  th  ing  has  changed. 
The  few  pioneers  whose  lives  have  graciously  been  prolonged 
are  in  the  sear  and  yellow  leaf.     Their  beards  are  frosted  with 

%■' 

age,  and  their  locks  i)owdered  with  the  snows  of  many  winters. 
For  many  summers  the  genial  sun  has  imprinted  upon  the 
tres-ses  of  these  first  ladies  of  this  new  land  the  light  of  its 
caresses.  All  these  marks  of  time  are  a  <-rown  of  glory  for 
good  works. 

Instead  of  rude  cabins,  elegant  residences  surround  me. 
Where  the  wolf  sat  and  howled,  are  ten-story  brown-stone 
business  blocks.  Tall  spires  point  toward  the  heavens  fro?n 
fine  temples  of  worship.  A  net-work  of  railroads  is  all  around 
me.  Millions  are  invested  in  manufactures.  Commerce  is 
unceasing.  All  that  art  and  science  can  do  for  us  is  being 
done.  All  these  things  have  come  to  pass  in  a  little  over  one 
generation,  many  of  them  within  the  last  decade.  If  the  pos- 
sibility of  such  changes  had  been  suggested  to  me  on  that 
October  morning  in  1852  when  the  first  election  was  held  in 
Minneapolis,  I  should  have  said,  "  Behold  !  if  the  Lord  would 
make  windows  in  Heavi'u,  then  might  these  things  be  !" 

One  hundred  and  fifty-seven  years  had  ela])sed  since  the 
discovery  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  by  the  missionary  Louis 
Hemiepin,  before  a  claim  was  made  to  the  soil  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Falls.  For  more  than  ten  years  after  the 
latter  event,  no  progress  of  moment  was  made  in  developing 
the  wonderful  natural  resources  of  the  neighborhood. 

When  we  consider  that  it  is  but  a  few  years  since  this  was 
the  home  of  the  red  man,  and  when  we  view  the  great  city  of 
to-day,  we  can  hardly  imagine  what  a  mighty  destiny  is  in 
waiting  for  those  who  will  soon  follow  us. 


?  ■    I             'j 

1 

[ 

i 

i 

f'  ■ 


CHAPTER  XL. 

EVENTS  OF  EIGHTEEN  IIUNDltED  AND  FIFTY-SEVEN. 

On  New  Years  Day  1857,  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  Union 
Board  of  Trade  of  St.  Anthony  and  Minneapolis.  The  follow- 
ing officers  were  elected  for  the  year  :  Samuel  Hidden  presi- 
dent, David  Edwards  and  John  H.  Si)ear  vice-presidents, 
N.  H.  Hemiup  corresponding  secretary,  T.  L.  Bibbins  record- 
ing secretary,  R.  P.  ITpton  treasurer,  Z.  E.  B.  Nash,  D.  Mor- 
rison, Richard  Chute,  John  Ja  kins  and  Edward  Murphy 
directors. 

Early  in  January  Edwai'd  Patch  Nvas  a])i)ointed  postmaster 
in  St.  Anthony. 

The  tirst  restaurant  in  Minneapolis  was  established  by  L. 

F.  Harris  the  first  part  of  January. 

The  new  county  officers  elected  for  1857  and  1858  were  Rev. 
C.  CI.  Ames  register  of  deeds,  Edward  Lippencott  sheriff,  G. 

G.  Lot)mis  county  cominissioner,  Geo.  A.  Nourse  district- 
attorney,  -John  L.  Tenney  county  treasurer,  and  Edwin  Smith 
Jones  judge  of  i)rol)ate.  For  the  first  time  the  citizens  of 
St.  Anthony  voted  in  Hennepin  county.  The  A'oters  on  the 
west  side  of  tlie  river  ivsiding  in  the  county  were  libei'al  in 
selecting  many  of  the  otHcers  from  St.  Anthony. 

Jiidge  Joel  B.  Bassett  was  elected  to  the  council  from  the 
Hennepin  district  in  place  of  D.  M.  Hanson  deceased,  and 
W.  W.  Wales  of  the  St.  Anthony  district  was  elected  to  the 
council  to  fill  a  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resignation  of  John 
Rollins.  Asa  Keith  of  Richfield,  John  P.  Plummerof  Brook- 
lyn, Rev.  W.  Hayden  of  Champlin,  and  Delano  T.  Smith  of 
Minneapolis,  were  elected  to  the  house  of  rej^resentatives, 


Eev. 

iff,  G. 
trict- 
imitli 
ns  of  . 
■)n  the 
■ral  in 

n  the 
I,  and 
to  the 
John 
trook- 
lith  of 
Ltives, 


if.-i'l 


Mdm 

_  i 

,j 

OV   MINNKSOr.V   AND    ITS    I'KOl'LE. 


299 


•\vliil(>  Joimtlijiu  ('lmH(»  and  U'lny  Hrclitnum  wero  fleeted  to 
tho  HaniP  office  in  ilie  St,  .Vuthony  district.  Tlie  KeHnion  for 
which  they  Mere  eUvtini,  1857,  was  the  hist  one  under  the 
territorial  Hiit1iorit\. 

Th<<  legislative  session  of  1S')7  was  more  inij)ortnnt  than 
any  that  had  preceded  it,  from  th«'  fact  thai  members  of  that 
l)ody  had  the  dis[)osal  of  the  vast  nmouii*  of  land  fj;rntited  to 
Minnesota  in  aid  of  bnildint,'  railroads,  and  took  tho  utvesHury 
Bte])s  for  the  territory  to  become  the  state. 

Tlio   citizens   of   Minneapolis   met    early  in  March  for  th«> 


of 


)ut(»  to  Hon.  H< 


T.  Welh 


purpose  or  renderinjj^  a  lrihuT(»  to  ±lou.  J-leiiry  1.  Uelles,  who 
had  visited  Washin<;ton  during  the  session  of  confj^ress,  and 
liad  contributed  largely  in  nuikin^  ^Minneapolis  a  railroad 
center,  in  the  jfassat^eof  a  bill  j^rantinLf  railroad  lands  to  3Iin- 
nesota.  It  was  decided  that  a  public  dinner  should  be  ^iven 
to  Mr.  Welles  as  a  slij^ht  token  of  appreciation  of  his  ^reat 
services  in  behalf  of  the  people-  which  compliment  Mr. 
Welles  declined.  ^lessrs.  Euij:«mu'  M.  Wilson,  S.  P.  Snyder, 
Cyrus  '^Idrich,  Isaac  Atwater,  C  H.  I'ettit,  and  other  promi- 
nent citizens,  participated  in  the  nu'etinj^. 

The  news  of  the  appointment  of  Samuel  Medary,  a  i)ronu- 
mmt  editor  of  Ohio,  as  Governor  of  Minnesota,  was  received 
early  in  the  8])rin^.  C'liarles  L.  Chase  of  St.  Antlumy  Avas 
selected  by  President  Buchanan  as  secretary  of  the  territory. 

New  tri'A'ns  spranjjf  up  this  spring  all  over  the  territory. 
Many  of  them  were  of  course  paper  towu-sites.  To-day  the 
location  of  many  of  tho.se  sites  is  unknown. 

AN  INDIAN    REPUBLIC. 

The  Hazlewood  republic,  established  on  the  upper  Missis- 
sippi by  Rev.  Dr.  Williamson  and  Rev.  Dr.  Riggs,  among  the 
Dakotas,  promised  good  results  this  year.  One  great  trouble 
the  missionaries  had  to  contend  with  was  the  difficulty  in 
getting  the  red  men  to  wear  shirts,  pants,  vests,  coats,  hats, 
and  short  hair,  instead  of  breecliclotlis,  blankets,  leggius,  and 
longhair.  Dr.  Riggs  in  March  of  this  year  writes:  "We 
"  continue  to  make  some  progress  ;  occasionally  we  have  need 
"  for  the  barber  to  operate  upon  a  new  subject.  When  a  man 
"  doffs  the  Indian  and  dons  the  white  man's  dress,  by  far  the 
"  most  important  part  of  the  ceremony  is  cutting  off  the  hair. 
"  A  few  weeks  since  Robert  Chaskay  was  spending  tlie  evening 


0 


f^ 


■A 

il 


m 


I* 

i 


; 

300 


PERSONA  I,    liKCOLLKCTIONS 


"at  Mr.  Iveiiville's.  For  some  timn  previous  Chftskay  had 
"been  ])r()misint!;  to  ])nt  on  pantaloons  as  soon  as  lie  coiild 
"  obtain  a  full  siiit.  Renville  intimated  to  liini  that  he  doubted 
"  whether  he  had  such  int*>ntion.  Looking  up  at  n  coat  and 
"pantaloons  which  hung  against  the  wall,  Chaskay  said  '  if 
''  you  will  give  me  those  I  will  put  them  on.'  No  sooner  said 
"  than  done.  Renville  jndled  down  the  clothes  and  gave  them 
"  to  Chaskay,  and  tnen  had  the  privilege  of  catting  off  his  haii'. 
"  As  those  locks  cost  him  so  much,  he  said  he  must  hang  them 
"up  as  a  house  ornament." 

Rev.  A.  A.  Russell,  on»^  of  the  most  faithful  of  ministers  in 
Minnea|)olis,  resigned  his  charge  over  the  Baptist  church  May 
1st.  Samuel  Hidden  was  appointed  postmaster  May  1st,  in 
ph*ce  of  Dr.  A.  E,  Ames.  On  the  12th  of  IMay  Carlos  Wilcox 
was  manned  to  Miss  Mary  S.  Burgess,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  F.  R. 
}l.  Cornell  ;  and  on  the  2(1  of  June  C.  H.  Pettit  was  married 
to  Miss  Deborah  Williams,  daughter  of  (^aj)tain  AYilliams. 

On  the  !)d  of  June  Mrs.  Margaret  Marble,  one  of  the  cap- 
tive women  taken  at  Spirit  Lake,  by  the  Indians,  in  March, 
was  bnmght  by  Indian  Agent  Flandreau  to  St.  Paul.  Inkpa- 
duta.  her  cai)tor,  sold  her  for  a  keg  of  powder  to  a  coui)le  of 
Dr.  Williamson's  Lac-(pn-])arle  Indians. 

The  election  of  delegates  to  attend  the  Constitutional  con- 
vention for  the  formation  of  a  state  government,  came  oif  ou 
June  1st.  The  delegates  elected  from  this  district  were  Dr. 
A.  E.  Ames,  Col.  Cyrus  Aldrich,  David  Morgan,  and  Erastus 
N.  Bates,  of  Minneaj)olis  ;  Rev.  W.  Fayden  of  Champlin, 
Gen.  R.  L,  Bartholomew  of  Riclitield,  ^^ .  F,  Itussell  and  Rev. 
Chas.  13.  Sheldon  of  Minnetonka,  Henry  Eschlie,  Albert  W. 
Combs,  and  T.  D.  Smith,  of  Cnrver  county  ;  B.  E.  Messer  of 
Hutchinson,  McLeod  c^tunty.  From  the  St.  Anthony  district 
Jiulge  B.  B.  Meeker,  Wm. 'M.  Lashelle.s,  Calvin  A.  Tuttle, 
Charles  L.  Chase,  Dr.  John  H.  Murphy,  L.  C.  Walker,  Peter 
Winell,  ai^d  D.  A.  Hecombe,  S.  W.  Putnam,  and  D.  M.  Hall. 

On  the  17th  of  June  the  new  Governor,  Samxiel  INfedary. 
removed  Rev.  C.  G.  Ames  fr<»m  the  (  fficeof  register  of  deeds. 
All  hour  after  Mr.  Ames  was  decapitjited,  the  county  com- 
missioners restored  him  to  office. 

.  William  D.  Washbiini  arrived  in  MininmjKilis  early  this 
season,  and  has  from  that  time  occupied  a  prominent  place  in 


OF    MINNESOTA  AND  ITS    PEOPLE. 


301 


1  this 
be  ill 


the  history  of  the  city  and  country.  No  one  man  has  accom- 
plished more  for  the  land  of  his  adoption  than  has  General 
Washburn.  He  has  always  been  at  the  head  and  front  of 
every  movement  that  would  benefit  the  country. 

Rev.  A.  Gale,  from  Massachusetts,  was  called  to  the  pulpit 
of  the  Baptist  church,  in  June.  He  was  an  excellent  citizen 
and  a  ^ood  pastor.  He  was  peculiarly  fitted  for  pioneer  work 
iu  the  cluirch.  He  accomplished  much  good  in  t)>e  city,  slate, 
and  n(U'thwest.  He  died  several  years  sinco  while  making  a 
journey  throiigh  the  Holy  Lrnd.  His  memory  will  ever  be 
fondly  cherished  by  those  who  had  the  pleasure  of  his 
acquaint  ance. 

SPIRIT   LAKE   CAPTIVES. 

On  the  3d  of  May  Miss  Gardner,  the  surviving  captive  of 
the  Spirit  Lake  raid,  was  rescued  in  the  wilds  of  Dakota. 
She  arrived  in  St.  Pfiul  on  the  2()th  of  June.  One  of  the 
Indians,  young  Inkpaduta,  engaged  in  the  massacre  at  Spirit 
Lake,  was  killed  by  mt^nbers  of  the  Hazelwood  republic,  not 
far  from  rayzheliootuze,  late  in  June.  The  bones  of  the  chief 
wlio  led  the  murderers  at  Si)irit  Lake  was  found  many  years 
since  near  the  present  town  of  Ortonville.  Most  of  the  red 
devils  engaged  in  that  horrible  affair  met  with  violent  deaths. 
Old  Inkpaduta's  band  of  Indians  were  declared  outlaws.  Their 
red  brothers  were  as  eager  as  tho  whiten  to  exterminate  them. 

The  nunnbers  of  the  constitutional  convention  met  in  St. 
Paul  on  Monday  the  15th  of  July. 

Rapid  progress  was  made  iu  building  the  two  new  bridges 
over  the  Mississippi  this  early  summei-.  'fhey  were  ready  for 
the  traveling  public  bi'fore  the  winter  set  in. 

The  first  apijeaiance  of  grasshoj)pers  since  the  organization 
of  the  territory  occuried  this  year.  They  nuide  their  appear- 
ance on  tlij  Fort  Snelling  prairie,  find  raj)i(lly  spread  over  the 
portion  of  the  country  nortli  of  th(>  ]V[innesota  river.  Their 
greatest  injury  to  the  crops  was  in  Hennepin  county. 

GllKAT   DEIMIKCIATIOX   IN   PHICE  OF   PHOPEKTY. 

As  the  fall  ap[)i'oached  the  money  market  became  seriously 
stringent.  Numerous  banks  iu  the  western  states  became 
insolvent.  Minnesota  had  not  suificient  currency  for  the 
transaction  of  ordinary  busi)\ess.  The  result  was  a  great  fall 
in  the  price  of   real  estate.     Corner  lots  that  would  readily 


iV 


302 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


•r*,. 


bring  three  thousand  dollars  in  Minneajjolis  in  May,  could 
not  be  sold  in  October  for  three  hundred  dollars.  l.'roi)erty 
of  all  descriptions  depreciated  in  price. 

Hon.  Chas,  E.  Flandreau,  agent  for  the  Dakota  Indians, 
was  appointed  territorial  judge.  Hennepin  county  was 
assigned  to  his  judicial  district. 

A  high  school  was  opened  in  Minneapolis  mider  the  care 
of  Prof,  A.  A.  Olcott.  The  immense  Winslow  hotel  in  St. 
Anthony  was  was  finished  and  furnished  in  the  most  complete 
manner.  Mr.  Winslow  let  the  hoiise  to  M.  V.  and  D.  J. 
Mattison. 

A  distressing  accident  occurred  on  the  20th  of  August  at 
the  residence  of  Mr.  John  Reidhead,  about  four  miles  above 
Minneapolis.  Two  of  his  children  were  burned  to  death  in  a 
stable.     Mr.  Reidhead  was  highly  esteemed  in  the  county. 

The  two  principal  political  parties  in  the  neighborhood  .  f 
the  Falls  organized  in  the  most  thoi-ougli  manner  Criii-  )• 
September.     James  A.  Lawrence  of  St.  Antlumy  reprew     wl 
the  democracy,  and  Colonel  Cyrus   Aldrich   of   Minneapolis, 
rei)res(mted  the  republicans. 

Woodbury  Fisk,  a  prominent  young  business  man  from 
New  Hampshire,  who  had  made  St.  Anthony  his  home  for  a 
year  or  mor",  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Sinclair,  an  esti- 
mable young  lady  of  St.  Anthony.  Mr.  Fisk  became  one  of 
the  leading  merchants  and  millers  at  the  Falls.  He  died  late 
in  the  winter  of  1889. 

The  Constitutional  convention  met  in  St.  Paul  July  13th, 
and  closed  August  20th. 

Messrs.  W.  A.  Croffut  and  Edwin  Clarke  liaving  purchased 
the  St.  Anthony  Republican  from  Rev.  C.  G.  Ames,  these 
gentlemen,  on  the  28th  of  Sei)tend)er,  published  the  first 
nund)er  of  the  Daily  News,  the  first  daily  newspajjer  ever 
printed  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony. 

On  account  of  so  many  bank  failures,  the  country  was 
flooded  with  worthless  bank-bills.  A  person  who  had  retired 
at  night  with  a  pocket-book  well  filled  with  ciirrency  which 
was  considered  good,  might  awake  the  ne.xt  morning  to  find 

breakfast  with  hundreds  of  dollars  of 


buy 


that 


The 


iirrency. 
Cataract  hotel  was  finished  and  oi)ened  to  the  public 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


303 


J. 


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find 
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the  first  of  October.  The  Nicollet  house,  erected  by  J.  M. 
Eustis,  was  also  ready  for  guests  this  fall.  Woodman's  hall, 
capable  of  holding  more  people  than  any  room  in  the  territory, 
was  comjjleted  this  fall. 

The  second  anniial  Minnesota  fair  was  held  in  St.  Paul, 
commencing  October  1st.  Messrs.  J.  W.  Bass,  D.  C.  Taylor, 
and  Major  P.  P.  Furber,  were  the  committee  on  management. 
The  annual  address  was  delivered  by  the  president,  Hon. 
H.  H.  Sibley,  on  the  third  day  of  the  fair.  The  officers 
elected  foi  1858  were  Judge  M.  Sherburne  president,  J.  W. 
Selby  vice-president,  Simon  P.  Snyder  treasurer,  John  Mur- 
ray ;*r.  secretary. 

Franklin  Cook,  so  long  a  leading  citizen  and  engineer, 
arrived  in  Minneapolis  this  year.  He  was  at  once  elected 
county  surveyor.  The  mill  company's  dam  across  the  Missis- 
sippi, which  was  in  process  of  erection,  proved  to  be  the  most 
gigantic  undertaking  of  any  similar  work  on  the  great  river. 
The  new  board  of  directors  were  Hon.  D.  Morrison,  Hon.  W. 
D.  Washburn,  Dr.  Jacob  S.  Elliott,  Geo.  E.  Huy,  Leonard 
Day,  and  H.  E.  Mann.  Gen.  Washburn  was  appointed  secre- 
tary and  agent,  and  Mr.  Mann  treasurer.  The  stockholders 
had  paid  in  several  hundred  thousands  of  dollars.  Now  the 
hard  times  made  it  difficult  for  them  to  raise  more  money  to 
complete  the  work.  They  persevered,  however,  and  in  time 
the  work  was  finished. 

Many  new  and  beautiful  structures  were  completed  this 
season.  The  finest  bank  building  in  the  state  was  completed 
and  occupied  by  Messrs.  Snyder,  McFarlane  &  Cook,  on  Hen- 
nepin avenue. 

A  lecture  association  was  organized  in  St.  Anthony  with 
James  R.  LaAvrence  president,  Hon.  David  Heaton  vice- 
l)resident,  Edwin  Clark  secretary,  and  E.  C  Graves  treasurer. 
This  was  the  first  organization  of  the  kind  at  the  Falls. 

There  being  no  small  change  in  circulation,  the  merchants 
issued  fractional  notes  of  ten,  fifteen,  tsventy-five  and  fifty 
cents,  which  obtained  a  wide  circulation.  The  following  is  a 
correct  copy  of  one  of  them  : 

"  Minneapolis,  Min.,  Oct.  20th,  1857. 

"25  cts.  This  certificate  for  twenty-five  cents  will  l)e 
"  redeemed  with  current  bank  notes,  at  our  store,  corner  of 


¥1 


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304 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


"  Bi'idge  and  First  street,  when  presented  to  the  amount  of 
"one  dollar.  Moore  &  Power." 

Mr.  Alex  Moore,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  who  signed 
the  above,  was  one  of  the  first  commissioners  of  Hennepin 
county.  The  firm  were  the  successors  of  I.  I.  Lewis  &  Co., 
and  A.  Br<;Jford.  The  place  of  business  was  where  Harlow 
A.  Gale's  city  market  house  now  stands.  These  were  times 
that  tried  a  man's  character.  If  he  was  a  good  man,  he  w^as 
proved  to  be  such  ;  if  he  was  a  bad  man,  he  appeared  in  his 
real  character.  Messrs.  Snyder,  McFarlane  A;  Cook,  C.  H. 
Pettit,  and  Beebe  &  Mendenhall,  the  prominent  bankers  of 
Minneapolis,  rendered  all  the  aid  to  the  poor  that  was  in  their 
power.  They  loaned  many  thousands  of  dollars  on  securities 
wh^ch  were  considered  good,  but  in  the  end  proved  worthless. 
As  ';  i  \vf  iter  months  approached,  instead  of  any  relief  in  the 
mone^  ket,  it  became  more  stringent.  Such  dreadfully 
dark  da_^  ,  in  financial  matters  had  not  occurred  since  the 
panic  of  1837.  The  bottom  disappeared  from  everything 
except  politics. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  elected  to  fill  the  county 
offices  for  1858  and  1859  :  Cl.rk  of  the  court,  H.  A.  Partridge  ; 
judge  of  probate,  E.  8.  Jones  ;  register  of  deeds,  C.  G.  Ames  ; 
treasurer,  David  Morgan  ;  county  commissioner,  F.  Thorn- 
dike  ;  county  surveyor,  F.  Cook.  Messrs.  A.  C.  Austin,  J.  C. 
McCarnard,  and  Fred  Bassett  were  elected  assessors.  The 
first  election  for  members  of  the  state  senate  and  house  of 
representatives  was  held  this  fall.  E.  N.  Bates  and  Delano 
T.  Smith  were  elected  senators,  and  E.  B.  Gibson,  Dr.  Geo. 
H.  Keith,  William  S.  Chowen,  and  J.  B.  Hinckley,  members 
of  the  house  of  representatives  from  Hennepin  west ;  and 
Jonathan  Chase,  senator,  and  L.  C.  Walker  and  William  H. 
Townsend  to  the  house  of  representatives  from  St.  Anthony, 
which  election  district  was  known  as  Hennepin  east.  Hon. 
James  R.  Lawrence  of  St.  Anthony  was  elected  district- 
attorney  for  the  Fourth  judicial  district,  which  comprised 
several  counties.  Mr.  Lawrence  was  a  son  of  Judge  Law- 
rence, a  distinguished  jurist  of  New  York.  He  had  recently 
made  St.  Anthony  his  home.  He  was  one  of  the  most  elo- 
quent speakers  that  ever  addressed  a  Minnesota  audience. 
He  died  early  in  life.     With  his  great  talent  and  popularity, 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


305 


had  his  life  been  spared,  he  would  unquestion'jbly  long  ere 
this  have  occupied  the  highest  trusts  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 
He  has  two  children  residing  in  Minneapolis— James  A. 
Lawrence,  of  the  firm  of  Wilson  &  Lawrence,  and  Mrs.  Reeve, 
wife  of  Colonel  C.  McReeve. 

James  M.  Jarrett  hfid  purchased  the  block  Mr.  Steele  and 
I  had  built  in  1851  and  changed  it  into  a  first-class  hotel. 
He  was  the  landlord  for  several  years,  when  he  sold  it  to  J.  W. 
Thurber,  who  gave  it  the  name  of  the  Tremont. 

The  first  syrup  made  from  sorghum  in  Minnesota  was  man- 
ufactured this  fall  at  Elm  creek,  now  Champlin,  in  this  county, 
by  H.  W.  RichardsoiL  As  syrup  in  large  quantities  is  now 
made  from  the  early  amber  and  other  varieties  of  sorghum, 
Mr.  Richardson  deserves  special  mention  as  the  first  one  in 
this  section  who  was  successful  in  the  enterprise. 

The  census  of  Minnesota  was  ordered  by  congress  prepara- 
tory to  the  admission  of  the  territory  as  a  state.  By  the 
returns  St.  Anthony  had  a  population  October  1st,  1857,  of 
4,720 ;  Minneapolis  and  the  Reserve  4,120  ;  the  rest  of  the 
county  4,523  ;  total  13,363. 

October  15th  a  daily  mail  via  St.  Paul  was  established  by 
the  postoffice  department  from  the  Falls  to  Prairie  du  Chien 
This  was  the  first  daily  mail  service  over  this  route. 

Charles  E.  Vanderburgh  and  Miss  Julia  N.  Mygatt  of  New 
York  were  married  this  year.  Arthur  H.  Mills,  a  pioneer, 
and  Miss  Abby  Newell  were  married  October  24,  in  New 
Haven,  Connecticut.  W.  W.  Eastman,  who  has  been  so  prom- 
inent in  the  destinies  of  this  immediate  country,  settled  in 
St.  Anthony  this  year.  On  the  1st  of  November,  at  Dr. 
Bausmau's  office,  in  Minneapolis,  the  Minnehaha  fire  company 
reorganized  with  W.  A.  Todd  for  president  and  foreman,  Fred 
Chalmers,  treasurer  ;  A.  L.  Bausman,  F.  Chalmers  and  W. 
Wringley,  executive  committee. 

The  Ht.  Anthony  Express  was  sold  tliis  fall  to  Prof.  D.  S. 
B.  Johnson  and  Chns.  H.  Slociim.  Prof.  Johnson  was  editor- 
in-chief.  Mr.  Slocum  had  charge  of  the  local  columns.  Both 
of  these  gentlemen  have  since  become  prominent  in  this  state. 

Mrs.  Mary  C.  Smith,  wife  of  senator-elect  Delano  T.  Smith, 
died  suddenly  November  15th.  On  the  17th  Walter  Carpen- 
ter, a  brother  of  Mrs.  J.  B.  Bassett,  died. 


m 


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306 


PER80Nc\.i  ..r:COLLECTI0N8 


The  advertisement  of  O.  M.  Laraway,  dealer  in  groceries 
and  provisions,  corner  of  Second  and  Bridge  streets,  appeared 
iu  the  journals  of  the  day.  Mr.  Laraway,  during  his  long 
residence  in  Minneapolis,  has  been  honored  with  many  high 
local  and  federal  trusts,  which  he  has  worthily  held. 

R.  J.  Meiulenhall,  who  had  made  the  city  his  home  the 
previous  year,  associated  with  him  in  business  Mr.  C.  Beede, 
a  man  from  New  England.  They  extended  their  kind  deeds 
to  a  large  number  of  persons  who  were  affected  by  the  panic. 

Simon  Stevens,  the  pioneer  of  "^^innetonka,  was  married  by 
Rev.  A.  D.  Williams  to  Miss  Kjuo  C.  Cole,  early  in  December, 
and  Henry  Oswald  was  married  by  the  same  clergyman  to 
Miss  T.  Sieber. 

The  first  state  legislature  met  in  St.  Paul  December  2d. 
The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  the  justices  of  the  peace  in 
Hennepin  county,  elected  and  qualified  to  serve  for  1858  : 
Bloomington,  E.  B.  Stanley,  George  Cook  ;  Corcoran,  John 
Molan,  Israel  Dorman  :  Dayton,  A.  C.  Kimble,  W.  P.  Jones  ; 
Hopkins,  H.  H.  Hopkins,  L.  Holman  ;  Eden  Prairie,  W.  O. 
Collins,  H.  r.  Durgin  ;  Excelsior,  O.  Wilcox,  E.  Day  ;  Green- 
wood, T.  R.  Briggs,  A.  S.  Lensbeye  :  Hassan,  S.  Anderson  ; 
Island  City,  John  Carman  ;  Medicine  Lake,  D.  Parker,  F. 
Huot ;  Maple  Grove,  William  Trott,  John  B.  Bottineau  ; 
Minneapolis,  Henry  Hill ;  Minnetonka,  A.  B.  Robinson  ; 
Maple  Plain,  Wm.  F.  Hillman,  Irvin  Shrewsbury  ;  Richfield, 
Geo.  W.  Irvin  ;  Lower  St.  Anthony,  Wm.  McHerron,  J.  C. 
McCain  ;  Upper  St.  Anthony,  Anton  Grethen,  George  W. 
Thurber  ;  Wayzata  J.  A.  Colman,  Wm.  A.  Spafford. 

The  first  New  England  Society  was  organized  late  in 
December,  with  Colonel  Cyrus  Aldrich,  a  native  of  Rhode 
Island,  president ;  vice-presidents,  natives  of  New  England 
states,  D.  Morrison,  Maine  ;  Wm.  M.  Kimble,  New  Hamp- 
shire ;  E.  N.  Bates,  Massachiisetts  ;  Thos.  Hale  Williams, 
Rhode  Island  ;  Henry  T.  Welles,  Connecticut ;  and  A.  E. 
Ames,  Vermont.  Forefathers  day  was  observed  by  the  society 
with  all  honors.  W.  A.  Croffut,  then  a  young  man  just  from 
the  land  of  steady  habits,  contributed  much  that  made  the 
event  interesting.  Then,  as  now,  Mr.  Croffut  was  talented, 
and  his  presence  at  an  assemblage  of  this  kind  could  not  fail 
of  making  an  impression.  ,  . 


OF   MIXXESOTA  AND   ITS   PEOPLE. 


307 


MEN   OF   MARK    WHO  ARRIVED   IN  EIGHTEEN   FIFTY-SEVEN. 

A  large  number  of  immigrants  located  in  the  two  cities  this 
year.  Among  them  were  Hon.  R.  J.  Baldwin,  General  W.  D. 
Washburn,  Samuel  C.  Gale,  Eugene  M.  Wilson,  Jacob  K. 
Sidle,  Rev.  J.  F.  Chaffee,  Judge  E.  B.  Ames,  Major  A.  C. 
Morrill,  Jesse  Bishop,  Josiah  H.  Chase,  H.  D.  Beeman,  David 
Heaton,  William  A.  Croffut,  J.  C  Williams,  John  C  Oswald, 
Edwin  Clarke,  George  A.  Brackett,  Dan  M.  Demmon,  Henry 
Oswald,  William  Garcelon,  Nathan  Herrick,  AV.  W.  Winthrop, 
Paris  Gibson,  William  Lochren,  Jared  S.  Demmon,  P.  H. 
Kelly,  D.  Y.  Jones,  Anthony  Kelly,  L.  M.  Stewart,  William 
P.  Ankeny,  Fred  Chalmers,  Captain  Williams,  Asa  B.  Bar- 
ton, Dr.  S.  F.  Rankin,  Solon  Armstrong,  Thomas  G.  Barnard, 
William  Buckendorf,  C.  G.  Bugbee,  H.  C.  Butler,  W.  H. 
Chamberlniu,  Gilbert  Clough,  D,  M.  Clough,  Thomas  Gardi- 
ner, J.  G.  Gluck,  Anton  Grethen,  C.  B.  Heffelfinger,  Michael 
Hoy,  L.  Mell  Hyde,  B.  F.  Inks,  J.  G.  Jones,  W.  H.  Lauder- 
dale, James  R.  Lawrence,  James  W.  Lawrence,  S.  B.  Loye, 
Michael  Lyons,  Peter  McKernan,  W.  W.  McNair,  Charles 
Robinson,  and  Fred  L.  Smith. 

It  was  hoped  that  the  financial  panic  which  had  so  recently 
swept  over  the  country  would  end  before  the  close  of  the 
year,  but  it  I'ather  increased,  and  the  people  accepted  the 
hard  times  with  as  much  cheerfulness  as  they  could  command. 
So  dejji'essed  wi-re  the  citizens  by  the  financial  crisis  that 
places  of  amusement  were  conijjaratively  unattended,  though 
the  best  musicians  were  appreciated,  such  ns  Ole  Bull  and 
Adelina  Patti,  who  api)eare(l  at  an  early  day  before  the  people 
at  the  falls.  Fort  iinately  we  had  in  our  midst  Prof.  Widstrand, 
one  of  the  best  leaihers  of  music  in  the  northwest,  and  many 
ladies  in  this  city  to-diiy,  daughters  of  the  pioneers,  are 
indebted  to  him  for  their  musical  education. 


il 


CHAPTER  XL. 


THE  LOCAL  OUTLOOK  IN  EIGHTEEN  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY-EIGHT. 


ii' 


The  year  1858  opened  under  gloomy  circumstences.  Trade 
was  depressed,  currency  depreciated,  business  paralyzed,  real 
estate  valueless,  and  financial  ruin  to  all  classes  seemed  inev- 
itable. The  crops  of  1857  were  poor.  The  flow  of  immigration 
ceased.  Since  the  24th  of  August,  when  the  Ohio  Life  Insur- 
ance and  Trust  Company  failed,  no  one  could  borrow  money, 
for  no  one  had  it ;  and  yet  the  peoi)le  were  hopeful.  The 
fractional  currency  issued  by  the  merchants  and  bankers 
was  a  convenience.  U  le  News  and  the  Republican,  two  of 
the  leading  newspapers  at  the  Falls,  opposed  the  issue  of 
these  notes,  which  led  to  a  warm  controversy  between  Messrs. 
Snyder,  McFarlane  &  Cook,  C.  H.  Pettit,  O.  M.  Laraway, 
Alex  Moore,  Jackins  &  Wright,  Beebe  &  Mendeuhall,  A. 
Clarke,  and  other  business  men,  Gosport,  Tekoma,  and 
Brownsville  was  about  all  the  money  that  was  in  circulation, 
and  it  was  claimed  by  many  of  the  citizens  that  this  currency 
was  of  doubtful  character.  At  all  evants  the  bills  issued  by 
these  banks  served  an  excellent  purpuse  for  the  occasion. 

A  new  board  of  trade  was  organized  the  first  of  the  year, 
for  the  purpose  of  rendering  every  possible  relief  to  business 
men  and  citizens  generally.     The  officers  were  Captain  John 

C.  Reno,  president ;  Richard  Chute  and  William  M.  Kimball, 
vice-presidents  ;  T.  S.  Bibbins  and  Judge  Heniiup,  secreta- 
ries ;  William  D.  Washbiirn,  treasurer  ;  John  S.  Pillsbury, 

D.  Morrison,  AV.  D.  Babbett,  Samuel  Hidden,  and  Edward 
Hedderly,  directors.  The  efforts  of  this  organization  were 
attended  with  good  results  in  many  instances.     This  was  the 


OF  MINNE80TAA    ND   ITS  I'KOPLE. 


809 


first  public  position  held  by  Mr.  Pillsbury,  and  his  earnest 
labors  in  behalf  of  the  business  interests  in  this  neighborhood 
at  that  early  day  plainly  indicated  a  brilliant  future  was  in 
store  for  him. 

FORT  8NELLING  PROPERTY  SOLD. 

Franklin  Steele  and  others  purchased  tiie  Fort  Snelling 
property,  which  caused  an  excitement  of  some  mnj>;nitude. 
An  investigation  of  the  sale  was  ordered  by  congress,  the 
result  of  which  proved  Mr.  Steele  to  be  the  honorable  man  he 
was  known  to  be  by  all  his  acquaintances.  Subsequently  Mr. 
Sicele  and  those  associated  with  him  transferred  to  the  gov- 
ernment the  buildings  and  the  necessary  amount  of  land 
required  by  the  government  for  parade-grounds,  gardens, 
hay-lands,  and  building  purposes,  outside  of  the  garrison. 

The  early  year  was  attended  with  large  revivals  in  both 
cities.  Joel  B.  Bassett  and  Otis  Bradford  were  ap{)ointed 
county  commissioners  in  place  of  Geo.  W.  Cliowen  and  Mr. 
Thorudyke,  resigned.  Geo.  A.  Brackett,  who  has  since 
become  such  a  useful  and  prominent  citizen,  opened  business 
in  Minneapolis  early  this  year,  on  the  corner  of  Seccmd  and 
Minnetonka  streets  (now  Second  avenue  south).  This  was 
Mr.  Brackett's  first  business  venture  in  Minneapolis. 

The  United  States  land-office  was  moved  from  Minneapolis 
to  Forest  City,  in  Meeker  county. 

A  bill  was  introduced  into  the  Legislature  in  February  in 
favor  of  the  state  issuing  five  million  dollars  in  bonds  to  be 
used  in  building  the  land-grant  railroads.  At  first  this  bill 
met  with  serious  opposition  in  Minneapolis  by  such  able  men 
as  Colonel  Cyrus  Aldrich,  M.  S.  Olds,  F.  E.  E.  Cornell,  W.  D. 
Washburn,  Chas.  E.  Vanderburgh,  Geo,  A.  Brackett,  Judge 
E.  B.  Ames,  C.  A.  Tuttle,  Edwin  Hedderly,  Henry  S.  Birge, 
K.  J.  Baldwin,  D.  Morrison,  Dr.  J.  S.  Elliott,  Geo.  E.  Huy, 
Wyman  Elliott,  Leonard  Day,  D.  M.  Coolbaugh,  P.  H.  Kelly, 
and  W.  P.  Ankeny.  On  the  other  hand,  Senator  Bates,  rep- 
resentative Geo.  H.  Keith,  and  many  others,  approved  of  the 
measiire. 

Margaret,  daughter  of  Joseph  Tuay,  was  burned  to  tleath 
at  her  father's  house  in  St.  Antliony. 

The  legislature  passed  tbo  bill  establishing  an  agricultural 
college  at  Glencoe.     Kev.  J.  C.  Whitney,  in  the  early  spring 


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PKltSONAL  11EC0LJ,ECTI0N8 


of  this  year,  retired  from  the  pastorate  of  Ihe  First  Presby- 
terian ohui'ch  to  accept  a  simihir  poHition  at  i'orest  City. 
Orin  Curtis  was  elected  Mayor  of  St.  Anthony.  W.  W. 
AVales,  who  had  so  acceptably  tilled  the  mayor's  cliair  in  that 
city  durin^j  1S57  refused  to  be  a  candidate  for  le-i'lection. 

At  the  election  April  15th  in  regard  to  the  tive  million  loan 
bill,  the  citizens  of  St.  Anthony  and  Minneapolis  voted  in 
favor  of  the  measure  by  over  fifteen  hundred  majority. 

The  steamers  running  above  St.  Anthony  on  the  Mississipi)! 
this  year  were  the  H.  M.  Rice,  William  Hai-nion,  owner, 
Enterprise,  Levi  Cosset,  owner,  and  North  Star,  J.  M.  Gil- 
man,  owner.  The  Young  brothers,  A.  R.  and  J.  B.,  were  the 
masters  of  the  last  two  boats. 

Sixty-four  of  the  business  men  published  a  notice  that  they 
would  receive  state  script  at  par  for  debts  or  for  goods. 

IMl'KOVEMENTS  AND  CIIUliCHES. 

Richard  Chute  purchased  of  L.  M.  Ford  this  spring  two 
thousand  shade  trees,  with  which  he  lined  the  streets  of  St. 
Anthony.  By  this  act  alone  Mr.  Chute  became  a  public  ben- 
efactor. The  different  churches  in  Minneapolis  were  repre- 
sented as  follows  :  Baptist,  Rev.  Amory  Gale  pastor ;  S.  A. 
Jewett,  James  Sully,  and  Joshua  Draper,  deacons  ;  Geo.  H. 
Keith,  and  C.  B.  Goodyear,  clerks  ;  Joseph  S.  Johnson, 
treasurer  ;  J.  C.  Weld,  collector  ;  James  Sully,  S.  A.  Jewett. 
Geo.  H.  Keith,  H.  Fletcher,  and  J.  P.  Abrahams,  trustees. 
Plymouth,  Rev.  Norman  McLeod,  pastor ;  Charles  Clark, 
Samuel  Hidden,  D.  R.  Barber,  J.  H.  Spear,  Dr.  William  H. 
Leonard,  B.  F.  Baker,  S.  P.  Chase,  A.  Walcott,  and  Charles 
E.  Vanderburgh,  trustees ;  W.  H.  Leonard  and  Cyrus  Snow, 
deacons  ;  Erastns  N.  Bates,  clerk.  Free-will  Baptist,  Rev. 
A.  D.  Williams,  pastor  ;  Allen  Harmon,  deacon  ;  Henry  C. 
Keith,  Edwin  S.  Jones,  and  Henry  Hill,  trustees ;  Rufus 
Cook,  clerk  ;  Charles  Sherburne,  sexton.  Gethsemane,  Rev. 
D.  B.  Knickerbacker,  rectoi- ;  Henry  T.  Welles  and  Captain 
John  C.  Reno,  wardens  ;  Judge  I.  Atwater,  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames, 
W.  S.  Phinney,  W.  J.  Parsons,  C.  H.  Wood  and  Alfred  Mur- 
phy, vestrymen  ;  M.  B.  Horton,  clerk ;  S.  W.  Phinney,  treas- 
urer. Presbyterian,  Rev.  F.  A.  Griswold  officiated  occasion- 
ally as  pastor  after  the  removal  of  Rev.  J.  C.  Whitney  to 
Forest  city  ;  Joseph  LeDiic,  elder ;  D.  M.  Anderson,  S.  S. 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND    ITS    1*K01»LE. 


811 


two 


reas- 
sion- 
ey  to 
S.  6. 


Crowell,  J.  Ti.  Tonuey,  mid  J.  T.  Grimes,  truHtecK.  MotluxliHf, 
Rev.  T.  M.  (lossunl,  iti'v.  J.  J).  Ilicli,  pastors;  llev.  J.  \V. 
Dow,  local  olil(M"  ;  Solomon  Weill,  E?J.  Scrimijjeoii,  A.  Jackson 
Bell,  l\.  W.  riummer.  J.  Oadhoudt,  J.  Cypliors,  and  T.  S. 
Bil>l)ins,  Htewards  ;  Joseph  J)ean,  S.  AVeill,  and  A.  J.  Bell, 
leaders. 

W.  P.  Day  commenced  siip])lyiii}^  the  residents  of  Minne- 
o])olis  with  milk  this  sprinj^-.     He  was  the  city's  tirst  dairyman. 

On  Ai)ril  17th,  Emily  ^fy^mtt,  the  only  child  of  Hon.  U.  J. 
Baldwin,  died 

THE   UNION   SCHOOL    AND   BIKHOl'    KNirKKUHAOKEU 

The  xmion  school  opened  for  the  sprinu;  and  summer  under 
the  most  favorable  conditions.  As  this  was  the  tirst  reLjular 
term  with  a  full  coijjs  of  teachers,  their  names  are  given  : 
George  B.  Stone,  sui)erintendent  and  princijjal  ;  Miss  S.  S. 
Gartield,  Mrs.  Julia  A.  Titus,  Miss  H.  \\.  Harrks,  and  Miss 
Adeline  Jetferson,  teachers.  Bev.  D.  JJ.  Knickerbacker,  now 
Bishop  of  Indiana,  was  secretary,  and  one  of  the  directors  of 
the  \inion  schools,  and  to  that  gentleman  is  t  he  public  indebted 
to  n  great  extent  for  the  success  of  those  schools.  Perhaps 
no  one  man  contributed  more  in  every  possible  way  for  the 
benefit  of  Minneapolis,  and  it  was  a  great  loss,  not  only  to  the 
city,  but  to  the  state,  when  he  became  ]iishop  of  Indiana. 
His  good  works  in  the  ministry  for  more  than  a  generatiwi  in 
Minneapolis,  will  be  lasting  for  all  time  to  come. 

Minneapolis  had  six  good  hotels  at  this  time — tho  Nicollet, 
the  Cataract,  the  Biishnell,  the  American,  the  Wilber,  and 
the  Minnesota  ;  while  St.  Anthony  led  otf  with  the  large 
Winslow,  Jarrett,  St.  Charles,  Revere,  Union,  and  the  Cheever. 

Dr.  Philo  L.  Hatch  arrived  in  Minneapolis  from  Dubuque, 
this  early  summer,  and  from  that  time  to  this  has  had  much 
influence  in  the  city. 

At  the  first  Minneapolis  (dection  held  this  sxinimer,  Henry 
T.  Welles  was  elected  j)resident  of  the  corporation,  and 
Charles  Hoag,  William  I).  Garland,  Isaac  I.  I"  ^^-'s,  and  E. 
Hedderly,  trustees;  William  A.  Todd,  clerk  ;  '^■•^  a  Murray 
jr.,  treasurer  ;  C.  C.  Berkman,  marshal  ;  and  David  Charlton, 
city  engineer.  These  officers  were  elected  under  the  new- 
corporation  act  granted  to  the  city  by  the  first  legislature. 
It  was  deemed  better  that  the  affairs  of  the  city  should  be 


'm 


8tt 


PEllSON  \  L    ItECOLLECTIONa 


u 


iliiljiijii 


jjovonifd  by  a  president  and  l)oard  of  trUHteeH,  rather  than  a 
mayor  and  city  couneil. 

Hon.  E.  M.  Wilnon  was  "appointed  l)y  the  President  United 
Stjites  attorney  for  the  new  state  of  Minnesota, 

Dr.  S.  H.  Chute  was  married  in  St.  Anthony  May  8th  to 
Miss  H(  len  K.  H.  ])ay. 

Thc^  Ktat(*  beiiif^  acbnitted  into  the  Union,  the  new  law  of 
townsliij)  organization  was  carried  into  effect.  On  the  IHth  of 
May  the  beveral  townships  elected  new  officers.  In  St. 
Anthony  James  B.  CJilbert  was  selected  for  chairman,  Piichard 
F-wer  and  James  C.  Tnffts,  snpervisors  ;  Dun  M.  Denimon, 
town  clerk  ;  James  A.  Lennon  assessor  ;  James  W.  Ellis, 
collector  ;  and  James  Holmes,  overseer  of  the  poor.  Minne- 
apolis  elected  E.  P.  Russell,  chairman  ;  Daniel  Bassett,  D.  B. 
Richardson,  Edward  Murphy  and  I.  I.  Lew  is,  sxipervisors  ; 
Geo.  E.  Hny  and  Henry  Hill,  justices  of  the  peace. 

St.  Anthony  atul  the  country  generally  sustained  a  great 
loss  in  the  death  of  Judge  S.  M.  Tracy,  on  the  13th  of  May. 
Judge  Tracy  was  one  of  the  most  i)romiiient  young  men  in 
the  state. 

Henry  H.  Sibley  and  the  other  state  officers  wtre  sworn 
into  office  May  24th. 

The  Nicollet  house  was  opened  by  a  banquet  on  May  2()th. 
Judge  E.  B.  Ames  presided,  with  Colonel  Aldrich,  Judge 
C(jrnell,  D.  Morrison,  W.  W.  Eastnuin,  Judge  Atwater,  Joel 
13.  Bassett,  Edwai'd  Murphy,  Henry  T.  Welles,  James  R. 
Lawrence,  B.  F.  liaker,  and  J.  B.  Gilbert,  vice-presidents. 
Speeches  were  nuule  by  the  above,  and  by  Governor  Sibley, 
E.  M.  Wilson,  and  others. 

Anson  Northrup  i)urchased  the  steamer  North  Star  for  the 
navigation  of  the  Mississijjpi  from  Fort  Ripley  to  the  falls  of 
the  Pokegema.  This  was  the  first  boat  ever  placed  in  the 
trade  above  Sauk  Rapids. 

The  first  editoi'ial  convention  ever  held  in  Minnesota  con- 
vened in  at.  Paul  Juno  8d.  Most  every  paper  published  in 
the  boundaries  of  the  state  at  that  time  was  represented. 
C.  Stebbins  of  the  Hastings  Independent  c  ccupied  the  chair, 
and  David  Blakely  of  the  Bancroft  Pitmeer  was  chosen  secre- 
tary. The  execiitive  committee  consisted  of  Marshall  Robin- 
son of  the  Glent!oe  Register,  A.  J.  Van  Yorhis  of  the  Still- 


•St.... 


ley, 

tlie 
of 
the 


OF    MINNESOTA    AND    IIS    I'EOPLE. 


318 


water  Mesaoiijjfcr,  Tlionuis  Foster  of  the  Minnefiotian,  Mr. 
Dodge  of  tlie  l''re(<  Press,  Mr.  Heiisley  of  the  Mankato  Incle- 
peiukMit,  and  Mr.  Brown  of  the  lirownsviMe  Herald. 

In  i)ursuanco  of  adjoiirnnieni  the  state  h'gishituro  met  June 
2d,  Governor  Sibley's  message  l)eing  delivered  that  day. 
This  was  the  first  message  delivered  to  the  legislature  by  the 
governor  after  the  state  was  admitted  into  the  Union. 

Eliza,  vil'e  of  Deaeon  John  S.  Mann,  die<l  at  the  residence 
of  the  family  June  24th.  She  was  one  of  the  pioneer  women 
of  Minnesota,  and  was  greatly  respected  by  the  whole  com- 
munity. She  was  the  daughter  of  Deacon  Joshua  Draper, 
and  was  tliirty-sexen  years  old. 

A  grand  celebration  was  held  on  Nicollet  Island  July  4th, 
Colonel  Aldrich  j)residing.  This  was  followed  by  observing 
the  anniversary  of  the  AVest  India  emancipation  on  July  Hist. 
Sj)eeches  were  made  on  tlmt  t)ccasion  by  Samuel  ('.  Gale, 
Rev.  C.  G.  Ames,  Prof.  G.  B.  Stone,  Geo.  A.  Nourse,  aiul 
others.  This  was  the  first  ai)pearance  of  Mr.  Gale  before  u 
Minneapolis  audience.  A  more  eloquent  etfort  had  never 
been  nuide  in  tlie  city. 

On  the  lOth  of  August  news  was  received  of  the  successful 
landing  of  the  Atlantic  cable. 

A  beautiful  Hag  was  i)resented  to  James  M.  AVinslow,  pro- 
prietor of  the  Winslow  liotel,  St.  Anthony,  by  the  ladies  of 
that  city.  Tlie  committee  who  officiated  on  that  occasion 
was  composed  of  Mrs.  Sumner  W.  Pariduim,  Mi's.  Isaac 
Atwater,  Mrs.  R.  B.  Graves,  and  Mrs.  S.  H.  Chute. 

On  the  liSth  of  August  Geo.  A.  Brackett  was  married  at 
Excelsior,  by  Rev.  Chas.  B.  Sheldon  to  Miss  Annie  M.  Hoyt 
of  Minneapolis. 

AV.  P.  Aiikeny  was  ai)pointed  postmaster  of  Minneapolis 
early  in  the  fall,  in  place  of  Samuel  Hidden,  resigned. 

Several  British  noldemen  arrived  in  St.  Anthony,  and  spent 
several  days  in  visiting  the  upjjer  ccmntry.  /  niong  them  were 
the  Earl  of  Shaftsbury,  Lord  Cavendish,  Lord  Grosvenor, 
Sir  George  Simpson,  and  Rt.  Hon.  H.  Ellis.  They  were 
accompanied  by  Dr.  John  Rea,  the  celebrated  Arctic  explorer. 

On  September  14th  it  was  decided  that  it  would  not  be 
desirable  to  hold  a  state  fair  this  fall  There  was  no  response 
to  the  executive  committee  from  the  different  cities  and  towns 


814 


pp:ii.sonal  uecollectiuns 


'III 


in' 
!  I' 


fi  P 


1'  ! 


1  f 


'  « 


>    1 


in  Ix^lmlf  of  tlie  fair.     The  fact  is  there  was   no  monoy  in  the 
hfuuls  of  the  citizens  to  eontribiite  for  such  a  jMirpose. 
HENNEl'lN  COUNTY  ELECiioN, 

At  the  first  annual  election  after  the  organization  of  the 
state  government  ;)f  Minnesota,  which  yvuH  held  in  Hennepin 
county  in  October  of  thisi  year,  the  following  gentlemen  were 
elected  a  county  hoard  of  supervisors  :  Blooniington,  Hon. 
Martin  McLeod;  Brooklyn,  E.  T.  Ailing  ;  Corcoran,  Israel 
Dorman  ;  Dayton,  A.  C'.  Kiml)all  ;  Eden  Prairie,  Aaron 
Gould ;  Excelsior,  II.  B.  McGrath ;  Hassan,  S.  Finical  ; 
Independeiu'e,Irvin  Shrewsbury  ;  Mui)le  Grove,  A.  C.  Austin  ; 
Minneapolis  townshtii,  .(v.  P.  Ilussell  ;  Minnetonka,  Fred 
Bassett  ;  Plymouth,  Francoi.'  Huot ;  Richfield,  Joel  Brews- 
ter ;  St.  Anthony  township,  Captain  J.  B.  Gilbert ;  Green- 
wood, N.  D,  Fennell ;  Miinietrista,  S.  L.  Merrinian.  At  the 
same  electiim,  Messrs.  Nelson  S.  Hoblit,  G.  D.  Rich,  Colonel 
Aldrich,  and  Daniel  Bassett,  were  elected  sui)ervisors  of 
Minneapolis  ;  Richard  Strout,  sheriff  of  Hennepin  county  ; 
Geo.  W.  Chowen,  register  of  deeds  ;  H.  O.  Hamlin,  auditor  ; 
A.  C.  Morrill,  county  attorney  ;  and  Franklin  Cook,  county 
surveyoi'.  In  St.  Anthony  David  Heatcm  was  elected  senator, 
S.  Lawrence,  and  R.  S.  Alden,  members  of  the  house  of  rep- 
resentatives. In  Hennepin  county  Williem  D.  AVashbum, 
Aaron  Gould,  R.  B.  McGrath,  and  A.  C.  Austin,  were  elected 
io  the  house  ;  the  senators  holding  over. 

On  Sejitember  2oth  a  herd  of  buffaloes  made  their  appear- 
ance on  the  Amos  James  farm,  near  Hutchinson,  in  McLeod 
county. 

On  the  20th  John  Baxter  of  Dayton  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  E.  Nettleton  ;  and  on  the  1th  of  October  George  W. 
Chowen  was  married  to  ISEiss  Susan  E.  Hawkins. 

C.  H.  Pettit's  i^aper,  the  Journal,  made  its  appearance  late 
in  September. 

On  the  19th  of  October  Prof.  S.  H.  Folsora,  recently  of 
Maine,  opened  a  select  school  in  St.  Anthony.  Over  four 
hundred  resident  children  of  Minneajjolis  attended  the  union 
school  ftt  the  fall  term,  ranging  from  four  to  twenty-three 
years  of  age,  and  not  one  of  them  was  l)orn  in  the  city. 

The  population  of  Minneapolis  this  fall  was  a  little  over 
four  thousand  ;  that  of  St.  Anthony  was  a  little  larger. 


v*^'iKi»M»W'ii*f«*.Sr?T 


OF   MINNESOTA    AND    ITS   PEOI'LE. 


315 


kte 


rer 


Ou  the  1st  of  November  Rew  E.  D.  Neill  was  appointed 
Chaucelor  of  the  University  of  MiiineKota.  The  np))oiutuient 
was  a  popular  one.  No  one  had  contributed  ho  much  to  the 
educational  interests  of  the  tt'rrttory.  He  was  an  earnest 
friend  to  all  that  would  benetit  the  people.  He  had  beea  a, 
constant  visitor  to  St.  Anthony,  preaching  to  the  citizens  in 
the  early  days  without  pay.  He  gave  the  iirst  lecture  in.  the 
old  town  beff)re  the  library  association,  and  has  always  been 
faithful  to  every  trust.  A  Cliristiau  minister,  eloquent,  tal- 
ented, energetic,  his  hands  aie  full  of  good  work.  He  was 
one  of  the  originators  and  promoters  of  of  the  early  organiza- 
tions that  have  so  greatly  benefitted  the  north  star  state. 

The  first  lodge  of  good  templars  was  established  in  St. 
Anthony  late  in  the  fall  of  this  year.  Ger  A.  Camp,  Miss 
Hannah  C.  Stanton,  Rev.  J.  F.  Chatfee,  Mrs.  Calista  Chatfee, 
A.  P.  Connelly  Kate  H.  Hall,  H.-nri»>tta  Murphie,  L.  P. 
Foster,  Miss  Jane  Morrison,  and  Miss  Sarah  G.  Cleveland, 
were  the  first  officers  of  the  organization. 

James  P.  Howlett  of  Minneapolis  was  married  in  Tecuuiseh, 
Michigan,  on  the  9th  of  November,  to  Miss  Sarah  Graves. 

Hard  as  the  times  were,  there  were  two  huiulred  buildings 
erected  in  St.  Anthony  during  the  season  of  1858,  at  a  cost  of 
$310,000  ;  and  in  Minneapolis  one  hundred  and  seventy,  at  a 
cost  of  $275,000.  No  one  could  imagine  where  the  money 
came  from  necessary  for  the  erection  of  these  buildings. 

As  the  winter  set  in  it  was  determined  by  the  citizens  of 
Minneapolis  to  organize  a  lecture  a.ssociatioa.  Samuel  Hid- 
<len  was  chosen  presidtMit  of  the  association  ;  Samuel  C.  Gale, 
secretary  ;  and  John  C.  AVilliams,  H.  D.  B«>eman,  and  Dr. 
Geo.  H.  Keith,  executive  committee.  The  object  of  the  asso- 
ciation was  intellectual  improvement  during  the  long  winter 
evenings.  Through  the  wise  management  of  Mr.  Gale  and 
the  other  officers  of  the  association,  the  citizens  were  favored 
with  many  choice  lectures  during  the  wuiier. 

The  practicing  physicians  at  the  Fall-i  at  the  end  of  Decem- 
ber this  year  were  Dr.  J.  H.  Murphy,  Di-.  A.  Fi.  Ames,  Dr. 
M.  R.  Greeley.  Dr.  J.  S.  Elliott,  Dr.  W.  H.  Leonard,  ])r.  B. 
Jodon,  Dr.  A.  Ortman,  Dr.  W.  D.  Dibb,  Dr.  C.  AY.  Boutillier, 
Dr.  C.  L.  Anderson,  Dr.  P.  L.  Hat<;h,  Dr.  J.  B.  Sabine,  and 
Dr.  Simon  French  Rankin. 


imW'^ 


if  .-."J  II '.  J.'^vaMffi 


);■;  ' 


316 


PERSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


Most  of  tlie  physicians  belonged  to  the  allopathic  school, 
though  Dr.  Elliott's  practice  was  herbal,  and  Dr.  Hatch's 
homeopathic.  The  latter  was  the  pioneer  in  his  practice  in 
Minneapolis,  ns  Dr.  Elliott  M^as  in  his  ;  though  Dr.  Ira 
Kingsbiiry,  the  primitive  physician  in  St.  Anthony,  belonged 
to  the  same  school.  Dr.  Leonard,  at  that  time,  was  a  member 
of  what  is  termed  the  old  school  class  of  physicians. 

Financially  tlie  year  ended  as  it  commenced,  under  a  cloud, 
and  yet  there  was  much  that  made  life  enjoyable.  Thomas 
Hale  Williams,  C  M.  Cushman,  and  Charles  H.  Clarke,  sup- 
plied the  citizens  with  choice  books  and  the  magazines  of  the 
day.  Several  matrimonial  alliances  were  effected  at  the  close 
of  the  year.  Among  them  were  D.  B.  S.  Johnson,  editor  of 
the  Express,  to  Miss  Hannah  C  Stanton  ;  Mark  T.  Berry  tt^ 
Miss  N,  J.  Rowell,  and  George  Davis  to  Miss  Helen  M. 
Couliiurd.  Mr.  Johnson  assumed  the  editorial  chair  of  the 
Express  on  the  eievatien  of  Isaac  Atwater  to  the  supreme 
bench  of  the  state. 

Frank  L,  Morse,  a  prominent  citi/en  of  the  county,  arrived 
in  St.  Anthony,  and  S.  C.  Robinson  made  Minneapolis  his 
home  this  year.  So  did  Jacob  A,  Wolverton  and  H.  D. 
Eockey. 

The  merchants  and  biisiness  men  were  constantly  on  the 
alert,  devising  ways  and  means  to  continue  in  trade  under  the 
depressing  circumstances  that  surrounded  them"  H.  M. 
Carpenter,  a  resident  of  St.  Anthony  since  .1854,  exhibited  a 
good  deal  of  tact  in  conducting  a  large  lirade  throughout  the 
hard  times.  • 

As  the  new  year  approached  the  weather  became  extremely 
cold,  but  there  was  plenty  of  fuel  at  cheap  rates. 


ii':i . 


^^^^^"'W"^-" 


CHAPTER  XIL. 


LOCA^   EVENTS  OF  EIGHTEEN   HUNDRED   AND   FIFTY-NINE. 


he 

tlie 

M. 

ted  a 
the 


On  the  tliird  of  January  a  union  commercial  association 
was  orguuized  in  the  interest  of  the  merchants  and  business 
men  of  the  city.  The  object  of  the  nssociation  was  to  aid  in 
every  possible  way  the  business  men  of  the  two  cities  during 
the  stringency  in  money  matters  that  prevailed  in  the  north- 
west. Colonel  AVilliani  M.  Kimball  was  elected  president  of 
the  union  ;  Mayor  O.  Curtis,  and  Edward  Murphy,  vice- 
presidents  ;  S.  W.  Farnham,  treasurer ;  William  D.  Wash- 
burn, corresponding  secretary  ;  Henry  Reynolds,  recording 
secretary  ;  W.  1).  Wiishburn,  John  S.  Pillsbury,  Samuel 
Hidden,  John  C.  Reno,  and  Colonel  Cyrus  Aldrich,  were 
appointed  the  board  of  directors.  This  organization  was  the 
source  of  a  good  deal  of  bei.efit  to  all  asses  of  citizens.  Its 
labors  were  on  the  mutual  aid  principle.  Through  the 
instrumentality  of  W.  I).  ATashburn  the  c"  izeiis  on  both 
banks  of  the  river  held  a  series  of  meetings  the  first  part  of 
January  to  devise  measures  to  induce  the  biiilding  of  rail- 
roads leading  to  and  concentrating  at  the  Falls.  These  meet- 
ings were  largely  attended.  Dorillus  Morrison  and  many 
other  prominent  men  j)articipated  in  the  deliberations. 

On  the  10th  of  January  a  daily  stage  line  from  the  Falls  to 
LaCrosse  was  established  by  Colonel  A.  Allen,  and  his  part- 
ner Chas.  L.  Chase  ex-secretary  of  the  territory.  This  was  a 
much-needed  movement.  Sxibsequently  it  was  united  with 
J.  C.  Burbank's  lino  of  stages. 

A  lodge  of  good  templars  was  established  in  Minneapolis 
at  this  time.     The  officers  were  Rev.  A.  D.  Williams,  Paul 


I 


III 


SIS 


PKHHONAL   RECOLr.KCTIONH 


VI 


Fitzgerald,  Miss  Nellie  Elliott,  A.  C.  Weeks,  D.  M.  G.  Mer- 
rill, Jaiuos  F.  Bradford,  Hirnm  Van  Nest,  and  Miss  E.  A. 
Towne.  This  was  the  first  organization  of  the  order  iu  Min- 
uea])olis. 

The  iron  foundry  of  Messrs.  Scott  Sc  Morgan,  in  St.  Anthony, 
was  now  iu  full  operation.  This  was  the  first  iron  works  of 
moment  at  the  Falls.  Mi*.  Morgan,  one  of  the  proj)rietors, 
afterwards  became  a  general  in  the  Union  army.  He  died 
from  the  effect  of  injuries  received  iu  the  war. 

On  the  14:th  of  February  Chas.  K.  Sherburne  of  Minneap- 
olis was  married  to  Miss  Lucy,  the  eldest  daughter  of  the 
pioneer,  Deacon  Allen  Harmon. 

NOTABLE  SOCIAL  GATHERING — THE   PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 

The  residents  at  the  Falls,  natives  of  the  middle,  western, 
and  southern  states,  celebrated  the  first  of  March  with  a 
grand  banquet  at  the  Nicollet.  O.  Curtis,  Mayor  of  St. 
Anthony,  represented  Iowa  ;  Dr.  B.  Jodon,  Maryland  ;  Wm. 
McHerron,  and  Chas.  E.  Vanderburg,  New  York  ;  David 
Charlton,  Indiana  ;  Geo.  W.  Wilson,  Virginia  ;  J.  E.  Past, 
Delaware ;  Deacon  A.  M.  Oliver,  Missouri ;  Robert  W. 
Brown,  South  Carolina  ;  Wm.  Carathuers,  Tennessee  ;  Levi 
Estes,  Oregon  ;  L.  C.  Walker,  Illinois  ;  A.  B.  Herman, 
Michigan  ;  AV.  Howell  Eobinson,  California ;  Calvin  A. 
Tuttle,  Wisconsin  ;  Wm.  K.  McFarlane,  and  Robert  W. 
Cummings,  Pennsylvania  ;  C.  H.  Pettit,  Ohio  ;  Captain 
Gonzales,  Texas  ;  R.  J.  Mendenhall,  North  Carolina  ;  H.  D. 
Beeman,  Georgia  ;  ex-Governor  AV.  A.  Gornum,  Kentucky  ; 
Harvey  Officer,  Mississippi ;  and  Dr.  J.  H.  Murphy,  New 
Jersey.     Socially  this  was  a  grand  meeting. 

Monej'^  was  so  scarce  that  the  teachei-s  in  the  public  schools 
were  unpaid  for  their  services.  -They  all  resigned.  This 
was  more  than  the  patrons  of  the  schools  could  endure.  A 
public  meeting  was  called  the  last  day  of  February  to  consider 
the  matter.  Judge  E.  B.  Ames  was  called  to  the  chair,  and 
Rev.  D.  B.  Knickei'backer  acted  as  secretary.  After  active 
efforts  by  Henry  T.  Welles,  Dr.  Fletcher,  Colonel  Aldrich, 
J.  B.  Bassett,  Dr.  Ames,  Charles  Hoag,  1).  M.  Coolbaugh, 
Deacon  James  Sully,  A.  Bradford,  H.  S.  Plummer,  Deacon 
Harmon,  Rev.  D.  B.  Knickerbacker,  Prof.  Stone,  F.  R.  E. 
Cornell,  and  Edward  Murphy,  the  school  was  relieved  of  its 


OF  B[INNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


319 


:his 


lider 
land 
Itive 
[ich, 

Icon 
E. 
its 


financial  difiiculties.  Even  at  this  early  day  the  union  school 
was  tlie  pride  of  Minneapolis. 

Lumbermen  wei-e  made  happy  by  the  cheerful  news,  early 
in  March,  that  i)ine  logs  would  bring  seven  dollars  per 
thousand  in  tlie  lower  markets.  This  was  a  considerable 
advance  over  the  prices  of  the  previous  year. 

A  union  gathering  in  Minneapolis  was  held  February  14th, 
Hon.  Martin  McLeod  in  the  chair.  Most  of  the  prominent 
citizens  were  present.  Speeches  were  made  by  Messrs.  Cornelh 
Vanderburgh,  E.  M.  Wilson,  Henry  T.  Welles,  a  ul  others. 

A  novel  organization  was  perfected  in  St.  Anthony  on  the 
13th  of  Maii.1:,  by  the  young  folks.  It  was  known  as  the 
juvenile  society.  The  officers  were  L.  P.  Foster,  Hattie  Hea- 
ton,  Frank  O'Brien,  Aggie  Day,  Kachel  M.  Chaifee,  James 
Fall,  Chas.  H.  Slocum,  Samuel  A.  Lewis,  and  G.  13.  Whedden- 

On  the  31st  of  March  Harlow  A.  Gale  was  appointed  county 
auditor,  in  place  of  H.  O.  Hamlin,  resigned.  This  was  the 
commencement  of  Mr.  Gale's  pu])lic  services  in  Minnesota. 
He  has  been  true  to  every  trust,  and  and  all  his  labors  have 
been  in  the  interests  of  the  city,  county  and  state,  as  well  a^ 
in  the  interest  of  morality.  All  (glasses  are  better  for  Mr 
Gale's  advent  into  this  city  in  185(5,  from  which  period  he. 
has  made  his  home  in  Minneapolis. 

In  consequence  of  the  hard  times,  the  news  of  the  gold 
discoveries  at  Pike's  Peak  was  received  this  eai'ly  summer 
with  delight  by  many  citizens  at  the  Falls.  They  sent  Isaac 
I.  Stevens  over  to  the  mines  to  make  a  thorough  examination 
of  the  mines  and  report.  The  result  was  that  from  sixty  to 
one  hundred  persons  left  the  Falls  for  the  new  El  Dorado. 
Most  of  them,  in  time,  returned  to  this  state. 

At  the  Annual  municipal  election  in  St.  Anthony  O.  Curtis 
was  re-elected  Mayor  by  a  small  majority  over  D.  t.  Moulton. 
J.  B.  Gilbert,  Richard  Grover,  and  J.  C  Foster,  supervisors  ; 
J.  H.  Pearl,  clerk  ;  tlie  otlier  town  offic/Ms  eU'cted  were  Dr. 
S.  H.  Chute,  David  Edwards,  and  Wm.  M.  Lashelle. 

In  Minneapolis  Colonel  Aldrich,  A.  J.  Bell,  and  J.  S. 
Malbon,  were  elected  supervisors.  The  other  officers  were 
H.  C.  Keith,  Collin  Hamer,  Cyrus  Snow,  Cr.  D.  Kichardson, 
Amos  Clarke,  and  J.  C.  Williams. 

The  dreadful  state  of  affairs  in  the  financial  world  niaile  the 


11 '  ■ 


■»  I 


'i 


m 


320 


PEUHONAl.    KKCOLLECTIONS 


m 


i 


peoi^le,  in  some  instances,  desperate.  Suicides  were  frequent. 
Murders  were  committed,  and  murderers  were  lynched,  in 
Wright  and  LeSueur  counties.  Fatal  accidents  frequently 
occurred.  Executions  against  property  for  debts  were 
numerous.  Richard  Strout,  slieritf  of  Hennepin  county,  had 
placed  in  his  hands  judgments  for  eighty  thousand  dollars 
from  the  time  he  assumed  his  office  on  January  1st  up  to 
April  10th,  against  debtors.  Of  this  amount  he  collected 
twenty  thousand  dollars. 

Two  new  papers  were  established  in  Minneapolis  this  spring, 
the  Atlas,  by  Col.  Wm.  King  ;  and  the  Plaindeuler,  by  H. 
E.  Purdy.  The  Atlas  was  Republican,  and  the  Plaindealer 
Democratic.  Both  were  conducted  with  talent.  It  was  a 
fortunate  thing  for  this  city,  and  for  the  state,  when  Colonel 
King  made  his  home  in  Minneapolis. 

Dr.  A.  E.  Ames  was  appointed  this  spring  associate  com- 
missioner of  the  court  of  claims  for  Minnesota. 

The  fourth  session  of  the  annual  Methodist  conference  was 
convened  in  St.  Anthony  May  4th,  Bishop  Baker  presiding. 
Rev.  J.  O.  Rich  was  assigned  to  Minneapolis,  and  Dr.  Cyrus 
Brooks  to  St.  Anthony. 

On  the  24th  of  May  Bayard  Taylor  commenced  a  series  of 
lectures  in  the  two  cities. 

The  Minneapolis  postmaster,  Wm.  P.  Ankeny,  was  married 
May  11,  in  Schellsburg,  Pennsylvania,  to  Miss  E.  M.  Schell. 

Ginseng  suddenly  became  an  imi)ortant  article  of  commerce 
this  spring.  That  root  was  about  the  only  commodity  in 
Minnesota  that  readily  brought  cash.  Large  quantities  were 
sold  in  the  Minneajjolis  and  St.  Anthony  markets.  The  big 
woods  was  full  of  the  plant,  and  the  gathering  of  it  enabled 
the  farmers  to  pay  their  taxes.  It  also  enabled  them  to  pay 
their  debts  to  tlie  merchants.  It  afforded  quite  a  relief  to  the 
citizens  during  the  ti'ying  times  of  the  panic.  Benj.  S.  Bull, 
a  resident  of  Minneapolis  since  1855,  erected  a  commodious 
dry-house  with  the  proper  conveniences  for  preparing  the 
ginseng  for  the  Chinese  market. 

Misfortunes  still  attend'^d  some  of  the  enterprises  of  the 
twin  cities.  The  upper  and  lower  bridges  were  destroyed  by 
the  high  water  on  June  3d.  There  was  only  one  hour's  dif- 
ference in  their  destruction  ;  the  one  at  8  p.   m.,  and  the 


of 


\o  pay 

to  the 

Bull, 

Ixlious 

^g  the 

|£  the 

led  by 
Is  dif. 
the 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


821 


other  at  9  p.  m.  Besides  the  loss  in  the  bridges,  the  high 
water  in  the  river  seriously  damaged  the  mills  and  booms. 
It  was  claimed  that  the  river  was  the  highest  ever  known  at 
the  Falls. 

Meetings  were  held  in  both  cities  in  regard  to  the  railroads. 
Judge  Meeker,  Judge  David  Morgan,  and  others,  participated 
in  them. 

Dr.  Chas.  W.  Borup,  a  pioneer,  and  a  prominent  business 
man,  died  in  St.  Paul  May  6th. 

Messrs.  Chase  and  C.  C.  Secombe  commenced  the  erection 
of  a  paper-mill  in  St.  Anthony  this  season,  the  first  in  the 
Btat«.  It  was  completed  during  the  ytar,  and  the  enterprise 
proved  a  successfxal  one. 

The  water  in  the  northwestern  rivers  was  unusually  high 
this  summer.  The  steamer  Anson  Northrup  went  through 
Big  Stone  Lake  and  Lake  Traverse  to  the  Red  river  of  the 
north.  The  Hudsen  Bay  company,  and  J.  C.  Burbank  of  St. 
Paul,  purchased  the  boat.  Tliis  was  the  beginning  of  a  large 
trade  by  steamers  on  the  Red  river  of  the  north. 

Rev.  Dr.  Horace  Bushnell,  the  distinguished  New  England 
divine,  arrived  in  St.  Anthony  in  August,  and  remained  in  the 
vicinity  for  many  months. 

Politics  ruled  supreme  in  Minnesota  from  Augiist  to 
October,  in  conse(iuence  of  it  being  the  occasion  of  the  second 
state  election. 

There  being  no  woolen  mills  in  Minnesota,  Messrs.  CJlias. 
Hoag  and  John  P.  Pliimmer  were  obliged  to  send  their  wool 
crop  to  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  a  distance  of  over  four  Imndred 
miles,  to  be  made  into  cloth. 

A  mechfinics'  institute  was  organized  in  St.  Anthony  Sept. 
8,  with  Messrs.  M.  W.  Getchell,  H.  W.  Gould,  Dr.  J.  H. 
Muri)liy,  John  B.  Gilfillan,  and  H.  B.  Tfiylor,  ns  officers. 

D.  B.  Dorninii,  a  leading  bunker,  was  accidPntnlly  shot 
while  on  a  hunting  expedition.  The  rounds  were  of  such  a 
severe  character  that  they  disabled  him  for  life.  He  died 
many  years  since. 

The  state  was  full  of  imported  orators.  Speeches  from  tlie 
stump  were  of  an  every-day  occurrence.  Among  those  of  a 
national  reputation  who  canvassed  the  state  were  Senator  John 
P.  Hale  of  New  Hampshire,  Speaker  Grow  of  Pennsylvania, 


■fi  r 


i-'f  :r,  '  '1" 


tiii! 


322 


PERSOXAL   RECOLLECTIONS 


i  '■'.■> 


|i(|li5;i 


Frank  Blaiv  of  Missom-i,  Governor  "Willard  of  Indiana,  and 
many  otliors. 

The  state  fair  was  held  jointly  witli  the  Hennepin  county 
fair,  in  Minneapolis,  October  5,  6  and  7.  Judge  M.  Sher- 
burne delivered  the  annual  a<ldress.  The  ofHc(u"8  elected  for 
1860  were  Clias.  Hoag,  j)resident ;  A.  Jackson  Bell,  secretary. 

Dr.  C.  L.  Anderson,  who  accompanied  Hon.  \V.  H.  Noble 
into  the  Rocky  mountains  as  geologist,  returu(Ml  from  the 
expedition.  Dr.  Anderson  re[)orted  important  discoveries  of 
mineral  wealth  in  the  Kocky  mountains.  This  was  before  the 
days  of  very  much  mining  in  what  is  now  Montana  and  Idaho. 

On  the  8th  of  October  six  persons  were  drowned  in  Minne- 
tonka,  among  whom  were  Martin  B.  Stone  and  wife  and  two 
children. 

At  the  annual  fall  election  this  year  Col.  Cyrus  Aldrich  of 
Minneapolis  was  elected  to  congress,  while  L.  Bostwick  of  St. 
Anthony  was  elected  judge  of  probate  of  Hennepin  county. 
The  other  county  officers  chosen  were  Joseph  Dean,  treasurer; 
Harlow  A.  Gale,  auditor  ;  General  Bartholomew  of  Richfield, 
and  Jesse  Bishop  of  Minneapolis,  senators  ;  J.  P.  Abraham, 
H.  E.  Mann,  A.  C.  Austin,  and  Irvin  Shrewsbury,  members 
of  the  house  of  representatives.  In  St.  Anthony  David 
Heaton  was  elected  senator,  and  D.  A.  Secombe  and  Geo.  P. 
Baldwin,  members  of  the  house.  Chas.  E.  Vanderburgh  was 
elected  judge  of  the  district  court.  He  has  been  continu- 
ously on  the  bench,  district  and  supreme,  ever  since. 

November  1st  W.  A.  Croffut  sold  his  half  of  the  Evening 
News  to  Uriah  Thomas.  He  returned  to  New  England  and 
commenced  the  publication  of  another  paper. 

November  2d  H.  H.  Hopkins  started  down  the  river  from 
Murphy's  landing  with  a  large  flat-boat  loaded  to  the  guards 
with  Minnesota  products,  which  he  sold  at  good  rates  in  the 
southern  mlvrkets.  This  was  the  first  venture  of  the  kind 
from  Minnesota.     It  proved  a  profitable  one. 

Mr.  Collins  Hamer,  the  Hennepin  county  official,  had  in 
November  a  serious  adventure  with  a  bear  in  Carver  county. 

On  the  17th  of  the  month  Rev.  D.  B.  Knickerbacker  was 
made  rector  of  the  church  of  Gethsemane,  by  Bishop  Whip- 
ple. Rev.  H.  M.  Nichols  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
Plymouth  church  at  about  the  same  time — Rev.  Norman  Me- 


OF    MINNESOTA  AND  ITS   I'EOl'LE. 


82.'] 


Leotl,  the  first  pastor,  hfiving  accepted  a  call  in  Wisconsin. 

J.  M.  Brewer,  a  i)rominent  business  man,  died  in  St. 
Anthony  November  80.  He  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Luther  M. 
Brewer  of  AVilbraham,  Mas.suchusetts. 

November  21lh  Chas.  M.  CushiuMU  was  married  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Nichols  to  Miss  Em.  S.  CMarke. 

The  Minnesota  J't'iicon,  a  temperance  and  ajjjricultural 
paper,  made  its  appearance  the  1st  of  Dectinber,  Messrs. 
Hyde  <t  AVilliains,  proprietors  and  editors.  ])iirinf^  December 
there  was  quite  a  perceptible  improvement  in  money  matters. 
A  good  cro])  had  been  raised  in  Minnesota.  The  merchants 
were  more  prosperous  in  the  two  cities.  In  St.  Anthony 
siicli  busine.ss  men  as  Josiah  H.  Chase,  H.  M.  Carpenter, 
Thos.  F.  Andrews,  and  John  S.  Pillsbury,  introduced  large 
stocks  of  goods,  and  many  Minneapolis  merchants,  includ- 
ing P.  H.  and  Anthony  Kelly,  so  well  known,  followed  in 
the  footsteps  of  their  friends  in  St.  Anthony.  The  medical 
fraternity  were  fortunate  in  the  latter  city  by  the  addition  of 
Dr.  S.  F.  Rankin  totlieir  number.  Minneapolis  akso  received 
valuable  citi/.ens  in  the  j)ersons  of  the  three  Harrison 
brothers  and  their  famili(^sand  friends  who  accompanied  them. 
There  were  others  who  came  to  the  Falls  this  year,  including 
Hon.  O.  C.  Merriman,  and  Wm.  E.  Jones,  who  have  proved 
to  be  among  the  best  in  the  land.  On  the  whole  a  slight 
increase  in  the  i)opidation  was  observable  ;  perhaps  sufhcitMit 
to  make  good  the  decrease  caused  by  those  who  emigrated 
on  account  of  the  hard  times  the  previoiis  y*  ar. 

The  vote  was  3,180  cast  in  Hennepin  county  at  the  fall 
election,  of  which  St.  Anthon}- jwlled  9S1,  Minneapolis  852, 
and  the  county  outside  of  the  cities  1,207. 

Captain  Merriman  and  Wm.  E.  Jones,  two  of  the  new 
arrivals,  became  largely  interested  in  lumber.  Both  were 
called  to  high  municipal  and  other  offices,  which  they  fiUcMl 
with  satisfaction  to  their  constituents.  Captain  Jonathan 
Chase,  who  preceded  Messrs.  Merriman  and  Jones  to  the 
county,  also  became  an  extensive  lumberman,  and  has 
rejjeatedly  lield  high  positions  with  honor  and  fidelity  to  his 
trusts. 


w 


'mm 


i\ 


1 
i 


CHAPTER  XLn. 

A  MOVEMENT  TO  UNITE  HT.   ANTHONV   AND   MINNEAPOLIS. 

Early  in  the  your  18(50  there  was  a  very  general  movement 
by  residents  on  both  sides  of  the  river  towards  nuiting  the 
two  cities  under  one  municipal  government.  The  questi(m 
was  whetlier  a  tirst-elnss  city  slumld  exist  at  the  Falls,  or  two 
rival  towns.  At  a  public  meeting  held  in  the  ccnirt-house  with 
Col.  AVm.  M.  Kimball  in  the  chair,  and  Mayor  R.  R.  Graves 
of  St.  Anihony,  secretary,  Mr.  Cornell  otTered  a  series  of  res- 
olutions in  favor  of  a  single,  simple,  inexpensive  town-gov- 
ernment. Dr.  Chute  thought  that  ii.ot  only  the  two  cities 
should  be  united,  but  he  had  a  i)liin  to  organize  a  new  county 
to  consist  of  oidy  the  united  city  ;  having  only  one  set  of 
officers  to  perform  all  the  duties  of  city  and  county.  Mr. 
Hoag  offered  a  resolution  declaring  that  the  name  of  the  city 
when  united  should  be  Minneapolis.  This,  he  said,  would 
secure  votes  in  favor  of  the  union  from  those  who  were  now 
opposed  to  it.  Mr.  Murj)liy  hoped  the  consideration  of  the 
name  would  be  postponed  until  it  was  decided  whether  it 
would  be  for  the  interests  of  the  people  to  have  a  union.  Mr. 
Hoag  replying  to  Mr.  Murphy's  remarks  contended  that  Min- 
neapolis, under  her  name,  had  grown  twice  as  fast  as  St. 
Anthony.  It  was  the  county-seat,  and  to  retain  the  name 
would  require  no  changes  in  the  papers  already  recorded. 
In  common  with  nine-tenths  of  the  people  he  preferred  the 
name  ;  first  for  euphony  ;  second,  because  St.  Anthony  has  no 
significance  ;  and  third,  because  Minneapolis  is  named  twice 
throughout  the  world,  where  St.  Anthony  is  named  once. 
Minnesota  contains  more  saints,  fn  name,  than  any  other  state 


OF   iMFNNKSOTA   AND   IT8   I'MOrLE. 


825 


■state 


in  the  Union.  Mi'.  Bradley  told  the  story  of  Polly  Jones,  and 
thought  we  had  better  wait  for  the  wedding  before  we  crit'd 
about  the  name.  Deacon  Harmon  had  yet  to  learn  what  Min- 
neapolis is  to  gain  by  the  union.  In  reference  to  the  name  to 
be  given  to  the  united  city,  Mr.  Cornell  said  that  he  did  not 
like  either  St.  Anthony  or  Minneapolis.  They  were  too  long 
for  convenience.  Rev.  Dr.  Horace  liuKhnell  had  been  invited 
to  be  present  at  the  meeting,  and  he  said  he  never  declined 
an  invitation  to  a  wedding.  The  first  thing  that  struck  him 
with  surprise  on  coming  here  was  the  rivalry  and  jealousy 
by  which  these  two  cities  were  nullifying  their  influence. 
Just  as  a  family,  if  John  and  James  are  always  (quarrelling, 
the  family  influence  is  gone.  AVith  the  two  towns  made  into 
one,  there  wo\dd  be  twenty  times  more  influence.  The  present 
policy  is  a  killing  one.  Miike  a  park  of  Nicollet  island  after 
the  union.  If  a  new  name  is  to  be  selected,  he  would  suggest 
Minneaut,  or  Minneanton.  If  neither  of  tln*se  suited,  try 
Miuneauthony.  Hon.  E.  M.  Wilson  was  in  favor  of  the  union 
of  the  two  cit  ies  at  some  future  time — but  not  now.  Possibly 
the  postoffice  would  have  to  be  on  Nicollet  island.  When  the 
toll  on  the  susjM'iision-bridge  was  abolished,  then  would  be 
the  proper  time  to  agitate  the  movement.  Dr.  Boutillier  said 
the  citizens  of  St.  Anthony  had  been  forced  to  an  annexation 
to  Hennepin  county  ;  now  they  were  in  favor  of  an  annt'xation 
of  the  two  towns.  After  further  consultation,  a  committee  on 
names  was  selected,  consisting  of  Charles  Hoag,  Dr.  A.  E. 
Ames,  E.  M.  Wilson,  R.  J,  Baldwin,  Edward  Murphy,  Nath. 
Kellogg,  R.  W.  Cummings,  A.  Blakeman,  Dr.  Bcmtillier,  wnd 
Dr.  H.  Bushnell,  A  committee  to  draft  a  charter  was  also 
ai)pointed.  Messrs.  F.  R.  E.  Cornell,  R,  J,  Baldwin,  E.  B. 
Ames,  H.  B.  Hancock,  Henry  T.  Welles,  John  Rollins,  Ht'ury 
Hetchman,  N.  H.  Hemiuj),  and  E.  A.  Raymond,  were  aj)pointed 
meml)er8  of  it;  when  the  meeting  adjourned  for  two  days. 
During  the  adjournment  the  excitement  became  great ;  sev- 
eral meetings  were  held,  and  unquestionably  the  movement 
would  have  been  successful  could  an  agreement  have  been 
made  in  regard  to  the  name  of  the  to  be  consolidated  city. 
The  citizens  of  St.  Anthony  insisted  on  St.  Anthony,  and 
those  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  wanted  Minneai^olis  ; 
hence  after  a  good  deal  of  work,  excitement  and  bad-blood, 


1' 


:}2G 


PEJtHONAL  IIKCOLI.KCIION.S 


tlio  movement  fjiiled,  8imi)ly  because  neither  side  would  yield 
the  name  ot  its  favorite  city. 

Edwin  Clarke,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Evening  News, 
WHS  married  New  Years  day  to  JNliss  Ellen  F.  Itowe. 

It  was  extremely  sickly  at  the  conimencenieut  of  the  New 
Year.  Tln>re  were  many  cases  of  malignant  typhoid  fi'ver. 
Rev.  Mr.  Hyde,  Harlow  A.  Gale,  Hon.  J.  1*.  Abraham,  and 
many  others,  suffered  from  the  disease. 

A  new  board  of  regents  was  appointed  by  Govenior  Ramsey, 
consisting  of  John  M.  Berry  of  Rice  county,  Jaied  Renson  of 
Anoka,  E.  O.  Hamlin  of  Reuton,  Col.  Wm.  M.  Kimball  and 
Uriah  Thomas  of  Henm^pin. 

Rev.  A.  D.  Siioborn,  of  Dodge  county,  was  called  to  tlie 
Froe-Will  Baptist  clairch  in  Minneapolis.  Business  was 
unusually  dull  during  the  winter.  Merchants,  bankers,  me- 
chanics, professioual  as  well  as  hiboring  men,  were  greatly 
discouraged.  A  law  passed  the  legislature  reorganizing  the 
Minnesota  agricultural  society.  On  the  fifth  of  March  an 
election  was  held  in  St,  Raul  for  the  olJicers  of  tlie  society, 
which  resulted  in  the  choice  of  the  old  officers,  viz. :  Charles 
Hoag  for  president,  J.  H.  Baker  of  Blue  Earth  for  secretary, 
and  J.  W.  Selby  of  Ramsey  for  treasurer. 

Early  in  the  spring  J.  B.  Bassett  &  Co.  j)urchased  the  pail 
and  tubfactory  from  Messrs.  Harmon  &  Eaton,  in  Minneapolis. 

The  Minneapolis  Athetueum  was  incorjjoratcd  by  law  April 
2d.  The  first  officers  were  E.  S.  Jones,  president  ;  Thomas 
Hale  Williams,  librarian  and  secretary  ;  th<^  other  officers 
were  David  Morgan,  AVm.  F.  Russell,  J.  S.  Young,  and  Coh 
Aldrich.  At  that  time  the  library  contained  only  three  hun- 
dred volumes 

At  the  si)ring  election  in  St.  Anthony  R.  P.  Graves  was 
elected  mayor,  and  John  B.  Gillillan,  city  attorney  ;  D. 
Edwards,  assessor  ;  Johu  Babcock,  treasurer  ;  Solon  Arm- 
strong and  Jt)lin  Henry,  trustees.  This  was  Mr.  Gilfillan's 
first  office  of  moment.  Through  subsecpu'nt  years,  by  his 
talent,  honesty  and  faithful  service^  l.o  was  honored  with 
many  high  trxists,  and  was  elected  to  congress. 

The  officers  elected  in  Minneapolis  were  Daniel  Bassett, 
B.  F.  Baker,  and  M.  S.  Hoblitt,  supervisors  ;  Cyrus  Beede, 
treasurer  ;  Cyrus  Snow,  town-clerk  ;  Collins  Hamer,  assessor; 


OF  MINNESOTA   AND   ITS   PEOPLE. 


327 


<ett, 
.(le, 
sor; 


J.  C.  WUHuiiiH  uiul  J.  !•'.  Hrndloy,  city  justicPH  ;  tho  other 
offic»M'H  were  J.  M.  Andcition,  Duvid  Morgun,  Jobcph  LeDur, 
and  E.  S.  Jones. 

April  5th  i\w  Conu^ro^ationnl  church  bnlldinj^  wns  burned. 
It  wiiH  the  work  of  an  inccndi/iry.  Tlicre  was  much  excite- 
ment in  regard  to  its  dewl ruction.  On  tlu)  following  day  the 
peopUi  met  in  mnns  convention,  with  Dr.  ]jevi  Butler  in  the 
ehuir,  to  devise  meaKures  for  tiie  dis  -overy  and  punishment 
of  the  pai  ties  wlio  set  tire  to  the  building. 

Jolin  S.  Pillshury.  J)r.  J.  H.  IMurphy,  O.  T.  Swe^,  C. 
Crawford,  William  Lochran,  Richard  Fewer.  Henry  Hetch- 
man,  and  E.  W.  Cutter,  were  the  members  of  the  n«'\v  board 
of  aldermen  in  St.  Anthony,  thongli  some  of  th(^m  had  previ- 
on.sly  held  seats  '  -  the  board.  This  was  the  real  commence- 
ment of  the  oHu-ial  life  of  Mr.  Pillsbury.  H(*  served  liis 
apprenticeship  in  otficial  dutii'S  as  an  aldernum  in  the  ancient 
town  of  St.  Anthony,  and  eventually  held  for  several  terms 
the  highest  ofKco  in  the  gift  of  the  ju'ople  of  Minnesota.  It  is 
unnecessary  to  say  that  ho  made  a  good  ald»'rman.  Mr. 
Lochran,  who  has  so  faithfully  served  the  ])eoplo  in  many 
high  trusts,  also  commenc«'d  his  official  life  as  an  alderman 
in  St.  Anthony.  He  was  a  good  member  of  the  board.  For 
that  matter,  all  the  other  nu-mbers  were  good  ones.  Ex- 
mayor  AV  W.  Wales  "•  .     [n,  <.  ify  clerk  for  that  year. 

The  new  board  of  regents  of  the  Tniversity  met  in  St.  Paul 
April  5th  and  organi/etl  by  the  election  of  Gov.  Alex.  Ramsey 
a8  president,  Col.  W.  M.  Kimball  as  treasurer,  and  Uriah 
Thomas  as  secretary. 

A.  A.  Clement  leased  th(>  Nicollet  house  this  spring. 

Messrs.  Robert  W.  Cuiiimings,  ])r.  H.  l-'letcher,  AViliiam 
Finch,  Dennis  Schmitz,  and  J.  B.  Hinckley,  were  elected 
county  conjmi.ssicmers  under  iho  new  law,  at  a  special  election 
in  April,  for  Henne])in  county. 

Hon.  U.  S.  Willey,  a  leading  lawyer  and  member  of  the 
honse  of  reijresentatives  in  this  state,  died  at  Forest  city. 
Colonel  Willey  had  formerly  resided  in  Minneapolis. 

During  the  recent  session  of  the  legislature  a  law  was 
enact«'d  in  relation  to  educational  matters  of  the  city,  giving 
power  to  the  board  that  had  not  been  previously  given  to  the 
trustees  of  the  district-school.     At  the  tirst   election   held  in 


:{28 


PEKHONAL    ICECOLLECTIONB 


nhr:. 


If 

m 


Muy  of  this  year,  Orrin  Curtis  was  eU^ted  president  of  the 
lK)ard  ;  C.  Crawford,  secretary  ;  and  Dr.  S.  ¥.  Rankin,  treas- 
urer. Great  progress  was  made  in  the  education  of  the  chil- 
dren under  this  organization.  Prof.  Chase  was  ek^cted  a 
member  of  the  corps  of  teachera  of  the  union  schools  in 
Minneapolis  this  spring. 

June  Ist  Wm.  H.  Chapman  was  appointed  deputy  U.  S. 
marshal  for  Hennepin  county,  in  which  ca])acity  he  was  to 
take  the  census  of  Hennepin  county. 

On  the  10th  of  Juno  the  whole  row  of  buildings  from  First 
stnu^t  tt)  Second  stre(>t  was  destroyed  by  tire.  This  was  the 
most  extensive  fire  that  had  ever  occurreil  in  the  state..  The 
sutt'erers  were  Martin  Ferrant,  AV.  R.  Johnson,  L.  Ford,  H. 
D.  Wheelock,  D.  Y.  J.mes  &  Co.,  J.  Miller,  John  I.  Black,  C. 
B.  Sanboni,  Amos  C'hirke,  Dr.  A.  L.  Bausman,  (J.  S.  Webster, 
Isaac?  B.  Edwai'ds.  Hopper  «t  (Jotdd,  C'urtis  H.  Pettit,  John 
Lee,  L.  H.  WiUiams,  J.  H.  Thompson,  Samuel  Hidden, 
Vroonum  tfe  Cnx-ker,  Dr.  Wm.  H.  JiConanliV  C().,B.  F.  Baker, 
John  E.  Bell  &  Co.,  Wheeler  «t  Nutting,  dale  it  King,  and 
Thomas  Hale  AVilliams. 

July  lstGe(\  Galivin's  new  boat  stt'amed  from  Excelsior  to 
Way/ata.  This  was  the  tirst  steamboat  navigation  on  Lake 
Minu»'tonka. 

On  the  4th  day  of  July  an  accident  occurred  at  Lake  Cal- 
lumn,  which  carried  sorrow  and  mourning  fo  almost  the  entire 
coniinunity  at  the  Falls.  The  pastor  of  the  C'oiigi-egational 
church.  Rev.  H.  ^F.  Nichols  liis  wif(\  and  son  aged  twelve 
yiiurs  ;  his  brotliei-iu-law,  Hon.  Arba  Cleveland,  and  his  two 
children  aged  eleven,  and  thirteen  years,  were  drowned  in  the 
lake.  Mr.  Nichols  was  one  of  the  most  i)leasing  speakers  of 
the  day,  and  gi'i-atly  icspecled  by  all  classes. 

On  tli<>  Sth,  I' rank,  only  sou  of  O.  C.  Merriman,  died  in  St. 
Anthony. 

On  the  22(1  of  Jidy  Rev.  Jo.se])!)  15.  Manton,  of  (^uincy, 
Illinois,  occupied  the  pulpit  of  the  l-'irst  Baptist  church. 
.\fterwanls  Mr.  Maiiton  l)ecani<^  past(»r  of  tlu>  church,  and  has 
continually  been  a  resident  of  Hennepin  county  since. 

On  the  24th,  James  R.  Lawrence,  the  district-attorney,  who 
resided  in  St.  Anthony,  moved  to  Chicago. 

Political  clubs  of  every  description  wtvr  organized  in  Hen. 


,.,^v-M-^-»^->*s*'«*»«(y»vW«»(«i'»ywiM«AV;>.^^ 


OF   MINNI'.SOTA    AND    ITS    I'EOl'LK. 


321) 


iiepin  county  this  year.  Tlion*  was  n  liiiicoin  club,  a  Douglas 
i'lub,  a  Brockonridge  club,  n  1J(^11  club,  in  fjivor  of  IIm^  ifiudi- 
<latea  for  President,  in  almost  every  township.  The  liveliest 
organi/ation  at  the  Falls  was  the  Wide-Awakes,  which  the 
varm  winds  of  August  incubat('d.  Among  the  mend)erH  were 
Geo.  A.  Brackett,  Jolin  0.  AVilliams,  fbirlow  A.  Gale,  Dr.  A. 
L.  Bailsman,  Benj.  S.  P>ul],  P.  H.  E.  Cornell,  David  C.  Bell, 
Wm.  S.  King,  0.  H.  Pettit,  O.  M.  Lnraway,  J.  D.  Gray,  Col- 
lins  Humer,  John  E.  Bell,  with  Samuel  C.  Gale  for  president, 
and  .1.  \V.  Wolverton  for  secretnry. 

Loreu  Eletclier  came  to  tho  city  this  summer  and  purchas«'d 
an  interest  in  tho  dry -goods  store  of  L.  E.  Allen. 

On  the  115th  of  .Vugiist  Mrs.  Dr.  Eletcher,  one  of  the  pit)- 
ncer  hidies  of  Minneapolis,  died. 

AliOr.iriOX    EXriTKMENT. 

On  the  '21st  great  excitement  was  caused  at  tlie  Falls,  and 
for  that  matter  throughout  tho  state,  in  conse([Ucnceof  \V.  D. 
liabbitt,  a  Mrs.  Gates,  and  Mrs.  Gray  making  com{)laint 
before  the  district  court  that  one  Eliza  O.  Winston,  a  slave, 
the  property  of  Col.  R.  Christmas  of  Issa([uena,  Mississip[>i, 
was  restrained  of  her  liberty  by  her  mnster,  at  the  residence 
of  Mrs.  Thornton,  Lake  Harriet,  where  the  parties  were  tem- 
porarily residing.  The  writ  was  placed  in  the  luinds  of  the 
sherilf,  Itichaid  Strout,  for  service  and  that  officer  brought 
Eliza  and  Col.  ChristiuMs  before  -fudge  A'dndeihurgh.  F.  R. 
E.  Cornell  appcnred  for  the  complaiiiai;!s.  Col.  ('hristmas 
made  no  attempt  at  a  defense,  when  the  court  ordered  the 
girl  to  be  discharged  from  the  custody  of  the  sheritt' ;  after 
which  (4)1.  Christmas  asked  the  girl  if  she  would  go  with  him, 
and  she  replied  that  she  would.  In  the  meantime  ^fessrs. 
JJabbitt,  Bigelow,  and  others,  gathered  around  her.  Colonel 
Christmas  asked  her  a  second  time  if  she  W(mld  return  with 
him  to  her  mistress.  She  said  she  would,  but  not  at  that 
time,  and  would  go  out  to  Mrs.  Thoint(»n's  the  lU'xtday.  She 
left  the  court-house  ii\  eotiipany  with  the  eumplaiuuat.s,  and 
it  is  supposed  nuide  her  way  to  Canada. 

The  Methodist  annunl  conferenc(»  was  held  this  yenr  in 
K(h1  Wing.  Rev.  J.  F.  Chall'ee  was  assigned  for  the  yi'ar  to 
Minneapolis,  and  Rev.  John  W.  Clipper  1o  St.  Anthony. 

The  Wide-Awakes  had  done  such   gmxl   service  in  Minne- 


WW' 


330 


PEllSON  M.  iu:roLLEcriON8 


l! 


npolis,  that  the  Eepublicaiis  jM'rfoctod  jiii  orji;anizHtion  in  St 
Anthony  with  D.  A.  SSt'conibi',  president,  and  H.  O.  Hamlin, 
secretary. 

On  tlie  17th  of  September,  Senator  "\Vm.  H.  Sewnvd,  Chus. 
Franeis  Adams,  and  Cieneral  Jsye,  visited  Minneajjolis. 

Thi'  slate  I'air  was  lield  at  Fort  Suellin^  September  2(1,  '27 
and  2H.  The  annual  address  was  delivered  by  Cassius  M. 
Clay  of  Kentucky.  The  officers  were  Charles  Fmag,  presi- 
dent, J.  H.  JJaker  secretary,  and  AV.  F.  Wheeler  sviperiutendt. 

October  10th  John  L.  Lovejoy,  a  prominent  citizen,  die(' 
in  St.  Anthony,  greatly  regretted. 

At  the  general  election  lield  November  fith,  1860,  2,525 
votes  were  polled  in  Hennepin  county,  against  3,130  tlu' 
previous  year.  The  officers  elected  were  Johiv  A.  Armstrong, 
sheriff  ;  (!eo.  AV.  C'howen,  register  of  deeds  ;  Harhtw  A. 
Gale,  auditor  ;  S.  H.  King,  surveyor  ;  tleo.  E.  H.  Day,  coro- 
ner ;  L.  IJostwick,  couit-commissioner ;  AV.  W.  "ijT<'Nair, 
county-attorney  ;  and  JJufus  J.  Baldwin  was  elected,  senator, 
and  F.  R.  E.  Cornell,  and  AV.  Hayden,  monbers  of  <he  house. 
On  the  east  side  David  Heaton  was  elected  senator.  St. 
Anthony  being  attached  to  Anoka  and  Isanti  C( /unties,  the 
mend)ers  of  the  liouse  were  from  those  counties.  A  new 
board  of  county  commissioners  was  eh'cted  for  1801,  consist- 
ing of  E/ra  Hanscond)e,  James  Sully,  A.  Blakemun,  J.  B. 
Hinkley,  and  AVilliam  Fincli. 

On  the  2<)th  of  November  Hon.  Martin  McLeod  died  at  his 
Oak  (jrove  residen<*e,  aged  47  years. 

Navigation  closed  this  year  on  the  21th    day  of  November. 

On  the  27th  of  this  month  the  daily  .\tlas  made  its  appear- 
and' in  MiniK  apolis,  and  a  few  (hiys  afterward  the  St.  Anthony 
evening  News  resumed  its  daily,  while  the  Flaiudeaier  was 
moved  from  Minneapolis  to  La  Crescent. 

The  vote  in  the  county  was  005  less  th  in  the  previous  year. 
There  were  few  additions  to  the  population  by  immigration. 
On  the  other  hand  many  jxTsons  beiongiiig  to  the  floating 
poptdation  left  the  county.  This  was  in  conseijuence  of  the 
continuulion  of  the  dreadful  stringen.-y  in  the  mcmey  market. 
About  all  the  transactions  in  real-estate  were  forced  sales,  iu 
which  the  courts  had  almost  complete  control.  Mortgage 
foreclosures  were  ntmierous. 


.-u?;t.,>>a-»^viv*ii»ii»(<><«.i  iwvii 


OF    MINNI'.SOTA   AND   ITH   I'EOrLE. 


331 


AlonzoH.  13enl  establisliod  this  year  a  first-class  photogrnph 
gallery. 

The  shrinliM^t'  in  the  value  of  prupcn'ty  at  the  Falls  since 
Sej)tenil)er,  ]H')7,  had  hecMi  marvelous,  but  at  the  close  (if  18(>0 
a  I'eacliou  liatl  taken  place  ;  at  least  prices  in  real-estat(;  had 
readied  tlie  Ixittoni,  and  from  that  period  a  L^radual  incn^ase 
in  the  j)nce  of  real-estate  was  observable.  Richard  Martin, 
esq,,  the  first  banker  in  St.  Antliony,  havin<^  established  his 
business  in  that  city  as  early  as  IB;")-!,  loaned  lar<j;e  sums  of 
money,  much  of  it  secured  on  real-estate.  In  time  lie  col- 
lected his  loans.  In  October,  1857,  Messrs.  J.  K.  Sidle  &  Co. 
opened  in  Minneapolis  a  similar  business  to  that  of  Mr. 
Martin  in  St.  Anthony.  This  firm  also  loant^d  out  large  snms 
of  money  without  nu^eting  any  loss  in  their  tninsactions. 
These  facts  are  only  mentioned  for  the  purpo.se  of  showing 
that  the  crisis  from  1857  to  1800,  severe  as  it  was,  did  not 
totally  destroy  the  business  at  the  Falls. 

As  the  new  year  apj)roached  the  citizens  of  the  two  cities 
made  the  nsual  arrangements  for  lectures  and  lyi-eums  for  the 
winter  months.  The  strictest  economy  was  oV)served  in  all 
matters,  to  the  extent  of  giving  up  many  of  the  luxuries  of 
life.     Hard  times  ruled  supreme. 


l'!U 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 


EIGHTEEN  HUNDRED   AND  HIXTY-ONE. 

The  first  day  of  tho  year  wtis  generally  obHerved  as  a  holiday 
by  tho  people  of  the  two  citieH.  At  the  annual  meetinjj^  of  the 
board  of  trad<*  Joel  B.  BusHott  was  elected  prenident,  Edward 
Murphy  and  Orrin  Curtis,  vice-presidents  ;  Owen  T.  Swett,  O. 
M.  Lnrraway,  J.  H.  Talbot,  Joseph  Van  Ennian,  and  J.  B. 
Bassett,  directors.  The  new's  of  the  firing  of  the  first  gun  on 
Fort  Sumter,  January  9th,  by  the  Houth  Carolina  authorities, 
was  received  by  t<.degraph  on  tho  evening  of  that  chiy.  The 
universal  sentiment  of  all  parties  found  exj)ression  at  the  Falls 
in  "  The  Union  must  and  sliail  be  presen'ed  !"  and  from  that 
eventful  evening  until  the  close  of  tho  war,  St.  Anlliony,  Min- 
neapolis, and  Hennepin  county,  as  well  as  the  w  hole  slate  of 
Minnesota,  did  their  wholo  duty. 

On  January  17th  J.  Fletcher  Williams,  v,ho  had  Ixn^n  city 
editor  of  tho  Minnesotian,  presentA'd  his  valedictory  to  the 
readers  of  that  j)aper  and  transfc-rred  his  pen  to  tho  Pioneer. 

A  military  company  was  organized  in  Minneapolis  with  W. 
D.  Washburn,  captain  ;  H.  A.  Partridge,  Fred  Chalmers,  and 
C.  H.  Woo<ls,  lieutenants. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  state  agricultural  sotriety  was  held 
in  St.  Paul,  F\'bruary  4th.  Charles  Hoag  was  re-elected  pres- 
ident ;  L.  M.  Ford,  secretary  ;  J.  W.  Selby,  treasurer  ;  ex(>c- 
utive  ccmunittee,  Gi'n.  Alex.  Chambers,  Wui.  L.  Ames,  J.  H. 
Baker,  Jared  Benson,  John  W.   North,  and  John  H.  Stevens. 

Baldwin  Brown,  who  came  to  8t  Anthony  with  his  step- 
father, John  Hiugston,  in  1840,  and  who  has  been  one  of  the 
most  useful  citizens  from  that  day  to  this,  commenced  building 


■.^jiuiiii.MUii^iaitmtui-iJiii 


OF   MINNEHOTA   AND   ITS  TEOl'LE. 


8:^3 


a  stedinboat  for  the  njiper  river  tnidc.  This  rnterpriso  j^ave 
employmeiil.  to  many  worknu'ii  during  tlio  dull  times  of  that 
Bevero  winter  ^^"l^Ie  the  people  on  both  Bides  of  the  river 
were  obliged  <<>  use  the  utmost  economy,  they  contributed 
for  those  who  were  worsts  off  than  they  in  lliis  world's  goods. 
When  news  was  received  that  there  was  great  suii'ering  in 
Kansas  for  want  of  food,  Dr.  Murphy,  J.  ('.  McCain,  David 
Lewis,  W.  Bowman,  John  lloUins,  llichard  (. 'hute,  and  Dr.  S. 
H.  Chute,  in  St.  Anth<my,  and  E.  S.  Jones,  Daniel  Jiassett, 
H.  L.  Birge,  and  Geo.  \V.  CMiowcn,  in  Minnea|M)lis,  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  raise  funds  fctr  the  relief  of  the 
people  of  Kan.'^as.  The  joint  commit te«>  jiad  the  pleasure  of 
Bending  over  one  tlumsand  dollars  to  that  section  of  the 
Union.  This  would  lu'  considered  but  a  [)ittance  these  days, 
but  then  a  thousand  dollars  \vase([U!d  to  many  tlum.sandsnow. 

On  the  17th  of  February  the  piil'lication  of  the  daily  edition 
of  the  Atlas  was  discontinued, 

February  23  Rev.  E.  D.  Neill  resigned  the  office  of  <'han- 
celor  of  the  University. 

In  view  of  th(»  fact  that  new  jjostmasters  would  bo  appointed 
in  tlie  two  cili<'s  by  the  inccmiing  administration,  soon  after 
the  4th  of  Mavi'h  the  republicans  held  elections  for  a  choice. 
The  result  in  St.  Anthony  was  :  AY.  AV.  AVales  108  votes,  L. 
H,  Lonnon  80  votes  ;  in  Minneapolis,  John  H.  Walker  283, 
D.  Bassetfc  193,  Cyi'tis  Sn(.w  12,  and  (^ifilain  Putnam  *•. 
I'resident  Lincoln  appointed  D.  Hcntou  in  St.  Anthony. 
David  Morgan  was  appointed  in  Minneapolis.  He  was  not  u 
candidate  befort^  the  jteople. 

The  people  of  the  two  cities  were  kiiuUy  remembered  by 
the  administration  after  the  4th  t)f  IMaith,  as  John  Hutchin- 
son, a  resident  of  Minneapolis,  received  th(^  appointment  of 
Becretary  of  Dakota,  and  W.  D.  AVashburn  was  made  survi^yor- 
general  of  Minnesota,  while  Lucius  C.  Walker  of  St.  Anthony 
was  appointed  agent  of  the  Chipjiewa  Indians. 

At  th<»  annual  Kjjring  electitui  in  St.  Anthony  Hon.  ().  (■. 
Merriman  was  elected  mayor;  D.  B.  Bo  wnum,  treasurer  ; 
D.  Edwards,  assessor  ;  J.  H.  Noble,  marshal  ;  Chas.  F. 
Stimson,  supervisor  ;  Messrs.  Peter  Weingart,  Richard 
Fewer,  Oweji  T.  Swett,  and  J.  S.  Pillsbury,  re-i^lected  alder- 
men.    MemlM'rs  of  the  board  of  scIkmjI  directors  were  S.  H. 


Ill 


334 


I'EllSOXAL    HEC0LLECTI0N8 


I'ii 


Chute,  J,  B.  Gilbert,  and  Charlos  Honry.  The  election  of 
town  officers  in  Minnenjjolis,  lickl  Ai)ril  2(1,  resulted  in  the 
choice  of  Collins  Hanier,  chairman  ;  and  J.  H.  Thompson, 
and  E.  B.  Ames,  supervisors  ;  Geo.  A.  Savory,  clerk  ;  D.  R. 
Barber,  assessor  ;  and  J.  1*.  Ho wlett,  treasurer. 

The  lars.fe  mill  owned  by  J.  B.  Bassett  was  burned  April  2. 
There  was  Home4,0W  bushels  of  wheat  beioiif^inj^  to  C.'.  Hamer 
and  John  E.  Bell,  stored  in  it,  which  was  destroyed.  I  have 
often  wondered  if  ever  another  westeru  town  sutl'ered  as  much 
from  fire.s  as  did  Minneapolis. 

On  the  13th  of  April  the  daily  evening  News  ceased  to  exist. 
St'veral  years  after  this  date  I  was  associated  in  the  i)ub- 
lication  of  a  daily  and  weekly  newsj)aper  with  thret*  of  the 
yoxing  men  who  wen'  (m  the  News  at  the  time  of  its  suspension. 
I  refer  to  Col  Le  Vinne  Plummer,  Fred.  L.  Smith,  and  Wil- 
lard  S.  Whitemore. 

T'he  returns  of  the  assessors  this  spring  showed  that  the 
personal  i)ro])erty  in  Hennepin  county  amounted  to  $oG0,3()(), 
of  which  St.  Anthony  had  !?1'4G,325,  and  Minneapolis  .«3n2,411. 
Outside  of  the  cities  $11,030.  The  real  estate  in  St.  Anthony 
amount(>d  to  $800,992,  in  Minneapolis  .$1,054,812. 

War  was  at  hand,  and  nulitary  organizations  were  the  order 
of  the  day.  People  at  the  Falls  determined  to  be  the  first  in 
their  efforts  to  preserve  the  whole  Union.  For  all  time  to 
come  the  community  in  this  neighborhood  should  be  j)roud 
of  the  noble  record  of  the  citizens  of  Heiuiepin  county  in  the 
trying  times  of  tlu^  spring  and  summer  of  1801.  A  company 
was  raisml  at  once  in  St.  Anthony,  another  in  Minneapolis, 
the  former  unih'r  tin*  command  of  C^iptain  Geo.  N.  Morgan, 
the  latter  under  Captain  Harry  II.  Putnam.  Captain  Morgan 
became  one  of  the  most  efficient  officers  in  the  army,  and 
rapidly  ros(<  by  merit  to  the  rank  of  general,  while  Cajitain 
Putnam  was  transferred  from  the  volunteer  to  the  regular 
service.  He  too  b(>came  an  officer  of  high  rank.  Mayor  O. 
C.  M<'rriuuin  of  St.  Anthony,  and  other  influential  citizens,  on 
both  sides  of  the  river,  were  active  in  every  possible*  way  in 
aiding  the  volunteers.  Captain  Merriman  may  be  i)roperly 
be  called  the  war-nuiyor  of  St.  Anthony.  He  hiis  ever  since 
his  residence  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  taken  an  active  part 
in  all  measures  that  would  be  a  benefit  to  to  the  vicinity  of  the 


uti  'i 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  IT'«  PEOPLE. 


335 


Falls,  as  well  ns  the  wh(il(»  country.  All  party  foelinj^s  were 
thrown  aside  during  these  exciting  times.  The  raising  of 
troops  for  the  war  absorbed  every  other  interest. 

In  addition  to  those  already  mentioned,  the  following  resi- 
dents at  the  Falls  n^ceived  Federal  appointments  :  Dana  E. 
King,  register  of  the  XL  S.  land-ofhce  at  Forest  city  ;  D<>lano 
T.  Smith,  third  auditor  of  the  treasury  dej)artnient  at  AV^ash- 
ington  ;  Geo.  E.  H.  Day,  Indian  agent  east  of  the  Rocky 
mountains  ;  and  llev.  C  G.  Ames,  Consul  at  Porto  Rico. 

Several  parties  from  this  vicinity  had  wintered  in  the  south 
and  were  obliged  to  leave  the  confederacy  in  haste  ;  among 
them  were  Dr.  Geo.  H.  Keith  and  eTohn  Kyrk. 

J.  Mason  Eustis  was  ai)point(Ml  contractor  at  Fort  Snelling. 
Messrs.  Geo.  A.  Bracket  and  H.  H.  Brackett  were  associated 
with  him. 

Then,  as  now,  wheat  was  a  great  staple  at  the  Falls.  Early 
in  May  William  Blaisdell  sold  two  thousand  bushels  to  Messrs. 
Gibson  &  Eastman  for  seventy  c(>nts  i)er  bushel.  At  that 
time  this  was  considered  a  large  price.  It  was  thought  that 
in  consequence  of  the  war  the  price  of  wheat  would  advance, 
but  instead  of  an  upward  tendency  it  fell  the  following  fall  to 
forty-eight  cents  per  liushel. 

On  the  27th  of  May  Daniel  Bassett  died.  He  was  the 
father  of  Judge  Joel  B.  Bassett,  Daniel  Bassett,  jr.,  and  Mrs. 
Joseph  H.  Canney. 

At  the  municipal  election  held  at  Minneapolis  in  May  S.  H. 
Mattison  was  elected  jjresident  of  the  board  of  supervisors. 
The  other  members  of  the  board  were  J.  H.  Jones,  Jolui  E. 
Bell,  E.  H.  Davie,  and  E.  Hf^ddorly.  There  was  a  new  school 
board  elected  this  sj)iing.  The  members  were  O.  B.  King, 
David  Morgan,  T.  A.  Harrison,  Isaac  Atwater,  with  R(h-.  D. 
B.  Knickerbacker,  secretary.  Several  new  teacht.'rs  were 
employed.  The  able  corps  were  Prof.  Geo.  B.  Stone,  prin- 
cipal ;  assistant  principal,  Miss  L.  M.  Rogers,  of  New  Hamp- 
shire ;  Miss  Boutwell,  Miss  Walcott,  Miss  Sarah  L.  Jones, 
Mrs.  Pcmieroy,  Mrs.  Rice,  Miss  Hoyt,  Miss  Clark,  and  Mr. 
D.  Folsora. 

The  streets  in  Minneapolis  were  in  bod  condition  this  year. 
Complaints  were  made  July  3  to  president  Mattison  of  the 
supervisors  that  the  hill  near  Barber's  on  Helen  and  Fourth 


I  E 


33(J 


IT.llSONAL  IIKC'OLLECTIONS 


'I  •, , 


■'II 


^'^■t 


Vti 


streets  was  so  badly  gulhul  as  to  be  irajwissable  for  carriages. 
A  jxTson  at  this  time  would  hardly  sui)iH)He  that  there  had 
ever  ])eeu  a  steep  hill  av  the  corner  of  Second  avenue  south 
and  Fourth  street. 

The  deputy  county-treasurer,  John  Morrison,  died  July  14. 

Nathan  Herrick  sold  to  farmers  2-4  reajx'rs  up  to  July  14. 
He  was  the  pioneer  in  the  farm-implement  and  marble  business. 

Loren  Fletcher  became  associated  about  this  time  with 
Chas.  M.  Lorinj^.     This  progressive  firm  became  prominent. 

The  Downs  brothers,  Henry,  Thonuis  and  John  who  had  for 
several  years  resided  with  their  parents  at  Lake  Calhoun,  now 
took  honorable  rank  as  citizens  in  business  f(^r  themselves. 

Business  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river  was  increased  during 
the  season  in  additions  to  the  retail  trade  by  John  I.  Black, 
John  E.  Bell,  and  others,  and  merchant  tailoring  establish- 
ments by  J.  H.  Thomps(m  and  Peter  Schrappel. 

Cynis  Aldrich,  M.  C,  appointed  David  Cooper  Bell,  of  the 
firm  of  John  E.  Bell  <fe  Co.,  his  private  secretary.  This  took 
Mr.  Bell  to  Washington,  where  a  new  phase  of  life  was  ojjenc^d 
to  him  during  that  stormy  congress.  He  became  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Minneapolis,  and  his  good  deeds  will  beheld  in  hint- 
ing n>membrance.  He  has  borne  an  honorable  part  in  the 
upbuilding  of  this  great  city  from  a  frontier  village.  On  his 
father's  side,  he  is  of  Scotch-Irish  stock.  On  his  mother's 
side  he  is  of  Ni^w  England  ancestry,  and  his  grandfather 
Owen  Cooper  lived  to  complete  a  full  century,  having  passed 
his  one  hundi'edth  birthday. 

September  1st  Samuel  Thatcher  of  St.  Anthony  died.  In 
his  death  the  pioneers  in  this  vicinity  met  with  a  great  loss. 

OFFIUEHH    ELECTED    IN     ElOHTEEN    HUNDRED  AND    SIXTY-ONE. 

The  officers  elected  for  the  year  in  Hennepin  county  were 
A.  Blakeman,  Henry  S.  Plummer,  D.  R.  Barber,  Wm.  Finch, 
and  J.  B.  Hinckley,  county  commissioners  ;  N.  H.  Hemiup, 
judge  of  probate  ;  H.  O.  Hamlin,  clerk  of  the  district  court ; 
John  S.  Walker,  county-treasurer  ;  and  Isaac  Brown,  coroner. 
For  the  legislature,  Rufus  J.  Baldwin,  senator  ;  F.  R.  E. 
Cornell,  and  John  C.  Past,  members  of  the  house  of  repn^- 
sentatives.  St.  Anthony,  David  Heatt)n,  senator ;  Jared 
Benson  and  J.  H.  Allen,  members  of  the  house. 

There  were  several  chauges  in  the  utnyspajjers  during  the 


i!:f 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


mi 


arnages. 
bore  liiul 
luo  south 

[  July  U. 
)  July  14. 
Ijusiuess. 
line  with 
roiniiieut. 
ho  had  f  or 
houu,  now 
n'UiBolves. 
sod  duriuK 
II  I.  Black, 
establish- 

JoU,  of  the 
This  took 
ft-as  opened 
I  prominent 
|i(>ld  in  hvst- 
)iirt  in  the 
On  his 
is  mother's 
imdfather 
'ing  passed 

died.  In 
great  loss. 
SIXTY-ONE. 

mnty  were 
^^n.  Finch, 
.  Heiniup, 
rict  court ; 
[n,  coroner. 
F.  R.  E. 
of  repre- 
)r  ;  Jared 


fall.  J.  B.  King  and  Geo.  D.  Bowman  were  atone  time  editors 
of  the  Atlas.  On  the  80th  of  October  the  old  E.xpress  was 
Bold,  root  and  branch,  to  John  L.  Maconald  of  Belle  Plaine, 
who  issued  the  Enipiirer  with  the  old  material.  This  was  Mr . 
Macdonald's  first  enterprise  in  Minn(>st)ta.  He  has  since  been 
state  senator,  member  of  the  state  house  of  representatives, 
judge  of  the  district  court,  and  meiuber  of  congress. 

A    UOriJLE-WEDDINQ. 

On  the  4tli  of  November  there  was  a  double-wedding  in 
Minneapolis.  Mr.  Lucius  A.  Babcock  was  married  to  Miss 
Ellen  M.  Sully,  and  Mr.  Seymour  L.  Fillmore  was  married  to 
Miss  Annie  Sully.  The  brides  were  sisters,  and  daughters  of 
Deacon  James  Sully  of  Minneapolis. 

Mr.  Fillmore  enlisted  in  the  volunteer  service  of  the  war 
for  the  Union,  and  died  of  camjj-fever  at  Nashville,  Tennessee. 

Mr.  Babcock  also  entered  the  Union  anuy,  was  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Guntown,  Mississippi,  and  died  in  Anderson- 
ville  prison  on  the  second  birthday  of  his  son  Charles  N. 
Babcock  who  is  now  an  excellent  lawyer  in  Minneapolis. 
He  was  buried  in  the  Aiulersonville  cemetery.  His  eldest 
brother  was  a  brigadier-general  of  Nortluu'u  troops,  was 
wounded  while  leading  a  charge  at  the  battle  of  Winchester, 
and  died  after  having  both  legs  amputated.  The  youngest 
and  only  remaining  brother,  a  lieutenant  in  the  Union  army, 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  The  Babcock  brothers 
were  cousins  of  Judge  Isaac  Atwater. 

Mrs.  Fillmore  and  Mrs.  Babcock  reside  in  Minneapolis 
to-day,  oni'  in  and  the  other  near  their  early  home. 

In  addition  to  those  already  in  the  field,  there  were,  during 
the  summer  and  autumn,  a  gn-at  many  soldiers  enli.sted  in  the 
volunteer  service  from  St.  Anthony  and  Minneai)olis,  as  well 
H8  from  Hei' nepin  county.  Dr.  Levi  Butler  raised  a  whole 
company  from  the  county  precincts,  for  the  Third  regiment, 
and  there  wereecjually  as  many  more  enlisted  in  the  Second 
regiment  whii'h  was  organized  early  in  July,  and  a  number  of 
men  were  sent  during  the  year  to  the  First  regiment. 


lluriug  the 


m 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 


MR.  AND  MRS.   M.  N.  ADAMS  AS  MISHIONAUIKS  AND  OLD-8ETTLER8. 


Goodwill  Mission,  Sisheton  A<jen("Y,  South  Dakota, 

Miiy  24th.  1H80. 

In  conipliniKT  witli  your  most  rPHSonivblt*  nHiucst,  1  would 
respectfully  submit  the  followiufj:  stateuient  of  fucts,  to  wit  : 
1  was  born  February  14th,  IH'22,  at  Sandy  Springs,  Adams 
eounty,  Ohio  ;  received  my  collegiate  e(hication  at  Kipley, 
and  my  theological  training  at  Lane  Theological  Seminary, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  graduating  in  June,  1848. 

Mrs.  Adams,  whose  muiden  name  was  Rankin,  daughter  of 
James  Rankin,  was  born  December  19th,  1827,  near  Knox- 
ville.  East  Tennessee  ;  educated  at  Ripley,  Ohio,  and  Mission 
Institute,  Quincy,  Illinois,  where  we  were  married  July  0th, 
1848  ;  and  having  been  commissioned  as  missiojiaries  of  the 
American  Board  of  C/ommissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  to 
the  Sioux  or  Dakota  Indians,  we  embarked  on  board  of  a 
Mississippi  river  steamer,  for  Fort  Snelling,  Iowa  Territory, 
as  it  was  then  known. 

On  arriving  at  Galena,  Illinois,  the  last  of  the  week,  we 
rested  there  until  after  the  Sabbath,  according  to  the  Fourth 
Commandment  ;  and  on  resuming  our  journey  by  the  first 
boat  for  St.  Paul,  leaving  Galena,  wo  arrived  at  St.  Paul  July 
24th,  1848,  and  Ft.  Snelling  at  noon  the  same  day. 

St  Paul  was  then  only  a  wayside-landing,  with  one  small 
trading-post,  with  a  few  trinkets  and  Indian  curiosities  in 
store  ;  and  there  were  less  than  half-a-dozen  resident  white 
families  there. 

Fort  Snelling,  and  H.  H.  Sibley's  trading  post  at  Meudota, 


OF    MINNKHOTA    AND    ITH    I'KOl'LK. 


331) 


yroro  tlion  rnjj;ar(lo«l  as  tlio  luwl  of  navi^jfnfion.  Our  boat.  011 
wliifh  we  whipju'd  our  housrhold  j^oodw,  and  siipplicH  for  0110 
yoar  only,  reached  the  foot  of  tlie  ishmd  opposito  Mendota, 
from  uhicli  j)oint  the  freight  was  trauHferrod  to  Fort  ynelling 
in  harj^es,  by  tlie  nteanier'H  crew. 

Diiriiiii;  our  (h'lentioi  awaiting  tlie  annual  nu'etiiig  of  the 
Dakota  Mish  11,  at  Knposia,  Dr.  T.  S.  AVilliauison's  station, 
in  tin*  autumn  of  iS-iH,  Mrs.  Adan\s  and  1  applied  ourselvj'B 
t^)  tlie  study  <if  the  Sioux  or  Dakota  lanj^ua^'e,  the  customs  and 
])ractices  and  character  of  the  natives,  amonjj;  whom  wo  were 
to  live  and  labor  as  missionaries  ;  and  for  the  time  beii^  were 
kindly  and  hospitably  entertained  fit  the  mission  home  of  l{ev. 
T.  S.  Williamson  at  Kaposia,  four  miles  below  St.  Paul,  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi  river. 

Meantime  I  reconnoitered  the  iield,  visited  Red  Rock,  and 
held  services  at  St.  Paul  and  (Jrey  Cloud  Island,  reachinj^  the 
latter  by  an  overland  route,  on  horseback,  guided  over  a 
trackless  prairie  by  a  jMicket-compass  to  a  point  opposite  the 
island,  where  I  was  kin<lly  mot  by  one  Mr.  John  IJrown,  who 
safely  transferred  me  across  (in  a  small  canoe)  to  his  island 
honu',  while  T  swam  my  horse  alongside  of  the  canoe,  and  in 
like  manner  returned  after  the  Sabl)atli. 

In  like  mauner,  in  tillin<^  an  appointment  to  preach  at  St. 
Paul,  I  rode  on  lu)rseback  to  a  clump  of  i^rape-vinos  and 
bushes  o|)posite  St.  Paid,  where  I  tied  out  my  horse,  and  was 
ferried  over  in  an  Indian  canoe,  in  the  morning,  and  after 
service  was  returned  in  the  afternoon  in  like  manner  by  an 
Indian's  kindness.  The  Divine  services  were  then  held  in  St. 
Paul  in  the  primitive  lo<j;scho()lhoHse.  On  that  day  ( to  which 
I  especially  refer)  we  had  only  about  twelve  adult  English- 
speaking  people,  and  tifteen  or  eighteen  childi'cn,  at  that 
service  ;  which  comprised  about  all  the  English-speaking 
people  of  that  snudl  village  of  St.  Paul,  where  now  there  is  a 
population  of  ujjwards  of  two  hundred  thousand  a  city  of 
schoolhouses  nnd  ccuisecrated  churches. 

At  another  time  I  accompanied  the  venerable  Dr.  T.  S. 
Williamson,  who  ludd  Divine  service  in  the  hou.se  of  one 
Hosea,  a  Canadian  Fi'onclunau  who  had  married  a  Dakota 
woman,  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  mission  church  at 
Lacijuiparle  ;  and  at  that  Sal)bath  aftenioon  8(>rvice,  in  the 


.,■  i 

in 


t     ''i 


840 


PKHHONAI,    llKrOLLKCTIONH 


Diikotii    liiii^UMK*'.  there  were  only  iil)out  Imlf-ii-dozeii  adultH, 
and  H  like  niiiuber  of  luilive  eliiMreii,  present. 

At  tluit  time  ]Minn(>ii|H)lis,  on  the  west  nitle,  whh  not  fonndtMl, 
and  n«)  iinproveuienis  tliei'(>,  exefjil  a  siniill  saw-mill  guarded 
by  a  soldier  oi'  the  l'.  S.  army  detailed  on  that  special  duty. 
The  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  and  Minnehaha  wero  tlu'n  in  their 
primitive  beauty  and  ^ramleur,  and  the  litllo  villa«»e  of  St. 
Anlliony  did  not  then  amount  to  much  more  than  n  niero 
porta>^e-encam|)nient  for  lumbermen  and  fnr-tradera  of  the 
upper  Mississippi  eountry. 

Fort  Snellin.LC  ^^'iw  then  (juite  a  military  post  ;  a  small  (T.  S. 
^jarrison,  but  important,  for  the  national  Hatj;  was  there  dis- 
played, sij^nalini;  the  fact  that  there  was  power  on  the  part  of 
the  V.  S.  ;j;overnmenl  ;  and  that  was  usually  respected,  altho' 
sometimes  contennied  by  Indian  braves  wht>  j^loried  more  in 
an  eaji;le-feather  «)f  a  certain  de8cri|)tion,  those  times,  than  in 
the  Fla^  of  our  I'nion. 

At  tin'  annual  meeting  oi'  our  Dakota  Mission,  held  nt 
Kaposia  in  Septt-ndier,  IS-IS,  it  was  decided  that  myself  and 
wife  should  go  t«)  l^accjuiparle  mission  station,  and  unite  with 
Uev.  S.  II.  Riggs  in  mission  work  among  the  Sisseton  and 
Wahpeton  Sioux  or  Dukotas  of  that  region  ;  in  which  we  mo.st 
heartily  concurred.  Accorilingly  on  the  10th  day  of  Septem- 
bt>r,  lH-48,  we  set  out  from  Kaposin  station  via  Ft.  Snelling, 
Oak  Cf  rove,  Shakopee  an.l  Traverse-des-Sioiix.  Owing  to  the 
want  of  roads,  bridges  and  ferries,  those  timers,  this  was  a 
difficult  and  tedious  overland  nmte.  Yet  it  was  nt)t  without 
occasional  episodes  and  little  diversions  ;  as  when  a  rawhide 
t»ig-strap  broke  and  let  the  i)atient  ox  out,  and  the  two-wheel 
cart  tilt  back  <ni  a  steej)  hillside  grade,  dumping  the  wives  of 
tlie  missicmarii's,  with  their  children,  baggage  and  all,  out  in 
a  rolling  attitude  t«)ward  the  overflowing  brook  below  ;  and 
amid  the  cries  from  tlie  frightful  disaster,  and  the  joyful 
exclamations  that  aftt'r  all  no  one  was  seriinisly  hurt,  all  was 
gathered  up,  restored,  and  the  journey  resumed,  with  heart- 
felt thankfulness  that  only  that  had  happeiu'd  ns. 

Then  again,  as  we  journeyed  in  road  and  without  roads,  we 
encountered  one  of  those  bottondess  sloughs,  partly  covered 
over  with  a  mere  tuft  of  grasses,  when  suddenly  one  of  our 
oxen  broke  through  the  grass  covering  and  went  down  in  the 


OF   MINNKHOT.V   AND    ITH    PKOIMK. 


'Mi 


mnrsh,  or  bo^,  lip  to  liis  sidrs,  and  iMllowrd  like  a  chII"  for 
fear  that  \v«)»il(l  Im-  liis  j^nivr  ;  and  our  woini'U  and  cliildreu 
f(>arin^  the  sanu>  fate,  jiiinj)rd  from  tli*>  mission  cart  and  ran 
from  tuft  to  tuft  until  tlu'y  rradu'd  terra  lirma  ;  /ind  thrn,  ou 
Hccintj  how  H(M>n  \vj<  roped  the  poor  ox  and  the  cart  out  of  the 
hlou;;h,  and  nOoaded,  eonchided  tliat  that  was  an  eventful  (hiy 
whi'u  w»>  wjMit  from  Oak  (irovf  mission  station  to  Shakopee. 


But 

reached  tlu>  ^Minnesota 


we  had  not  croHHt 

•iver 


1  tlit>  Kid)icon.     IJy  the  time  we 
at   fShakopee  it  waw  dark,  and 


p<«irin^;   down    rain.     There   was,   juHt   aH   wo   exjM'cted,  no 


bri 


(1  no  f< 


th 


Th 


Indi 


(l;^(>  and  no  terry  there,  l  liere  wi're,  lunvever,  s(»me  indum 
canocH  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  After  a  lon^  time 
we  suc('(»e(hMl  in  ;^ettin^  an  riidian  to  briuLf  one  or  two  over 
for  us  ;  and  lashing;  two  canoes  together,  si<U>  by  sitle,  we 
improvised  ferriajj!;(>  for  all,  except  our  two  i^fxyA,  patient  oxen 
and  my  horse,  which  we  compelled  to  ferry  themselves  over, 
after  the  niosl  primitive  nuiniier,  each  one  swimming  f«»r 
himself  to  the  other  shore,  llun.i^ry,  tired  and  sleepy,  we 
reached  the  mi.ssion  station  at  Shakopee  ;  wei-e  kinilly  received 
and  entertained  by  Il(>v.  Samuel  W.  l\)nd  ;  and  all  felt  satis- 
fied with  the  rich  and  varied  experiences  of  the  day  and  the 
journey. 

From  Shakopee  wi-  proceeded  next  on  our  way,  and  camped 
out  two  nij^hts  between  Shakopee  and  Traverse-ih'S-Sioux, 
where  St.  Peter  is  now  situated.  The  first  (hiy  we  were  sud- 
denly and  almost  without  any  warninj^  compelled,  by  reast)n 
of  a  heavy  rain-storm,  to  ^o  into  camp  ;  but  before  w(>  could 
pitch  our  tent  and  get  our  baggage  into  it,  we  w»>re  nearly 
drenclu'd  with  the  rainfall,  and  we  were  surrounded  with  a 
flood  of  water,  so  that  it  was  with  difficulty  that  we  kept  our 
blankets  dry  and  suitable  for  encampment  for  the  niy;ht. 
This  encampment  was  at  or  wrny  where  .Jordan  is  located. 

The  next  day  we  had  a  tedious  time  making  our  way  thro' 
the  big  woods  below  Le  Sueur.  That  night  one  of  our  oxen, 
worn  down,  or  disgusted  with  the  roads,  or  without  roads, 
deserted  us.  After  two  or  tliret>  hours  search  for  him  the 
uext  morning,  all  in  vain,  we  concluded  to  go  on  without  him, 
leaving  a  hired  man  with  the  cart  to  bring  all  on  the  jouniey 
when  the  truant  ox  shouhl  Ik?  found,  which  was  don«>  the 
evening  of  the  same  day  ;  and  that  day  wu  arrived  safely  at 


'M2 


PERSONAL   RECOLLECTIONS 


Trfiv«_'rKt'-t]<\s-Sioux  ;  and  Hhm-o  wo  rostotl  over  the  Sabbatli  in 
obcdii'iico  to  the  Foiiith  (.'ommaiulinent. 

On  that  Sal)biilh  day,  while  at  Truverse-deH-Sioux  iniBsion 
Btatiou,  two  events  occurred  to  nmke  that  day  niomorable  : 
FirHt,  it  WHS  n  communion  Sabbath,  when  tlie  little  band  of 
missionaries,  providentially  there,  celebrated  the  Lord's  Snj)- 
per,  in  obedience  to  Christ,  who  said  to  his  dicijjles,  "  Do  this 
in  remembrance  of  me."  Second,  in  the  afterncxm  of  that 
Bame  day  some  natives  who  had  been  down  to  Mendotu  nnd 
St.  Paul,  returned  with  a  supply  of  whisky,  and  several 
Indians  were  intoxicated,  and  one  num  was  killecl,  only  a  few 
hundred  yards  from  tlie  mission  station  ;  Jind  but  for  the  help 
of  two  of  our  youn;.(  men  from  the  mission  the  man  who  was 
in  charge  of  the  tradin>^-pt)st  would  have  been  killed  by  them. 
In  altcmptinjij  to  rescue  my  horse  from  the  ilanjLfcr  of  being 
shot  by  the  intoxicated  furious  party,  one  shot  from  a  musket 
was  ilischarged  at  my  feet,  and  another  over  my  head,  by  an 
Indian  toodi'unk  to  aim  and  tire  on  time,  at  a  white  man. 

The  next  week,  resunung  our  journey  across  the  prairie  to 
Lacquiparle  from  Till  verse-des-Sioux,  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
live  miles  in  a  northwestern  direftion,  after  caujping  out  four 
nights,  we  reached  our  destiiuition  safely,  blesseil  with  gcxKl 
hi^alth.  Lacipiiparlo  mission  was  one  of  the  oldest  mission 
stations  of  the  A.  B,  C.  ¥.  M.  among  the  Dakotas.  A  Presby- 
terian church  of  scA^en  members  was  organized  there  by  Dr. 
T.  S.  Williamson  early  in  IH'Mi,  whii-h  in  1S4S  iuul  increased 
to  upwards  of  fifty  members.  On.  arriving  there  we  nt  once 
entered  npou  missiim-work,  teaching  school,  having  from 
forty  to  fifty  day  scholars,  and  studying  the  Dakota  language, 
and  HM-iting  the  sam**,  during  the  evenings  and  morjiiugs. 

Meantime,  as  a  matter  of  experiment,  as  well  as  duty  and 
privilege,  we  ventun-d  to  take  six  n.ttive  children  into  our 
family  to  board,  hxlge,  t(>ach  and  train,  and  so  demonstrate 
the  possibility,  not  only,  but  also  the  feasibility,  of  educating 
antl  training  Indian  childri-n,  as  the  right  arm  of  the  missifm- 
work,  and  the  hope  of  success,  in  the  work  of  ci\ili/,ing  Jind 
Christiani/ing  the  Sioux  or  Dakotas.  Nor  were  we  disap- 
pointed as  to  the  anticipatetl  results.  To  us,  it  was  a  work  as 
interesting  as  it  W!is  new  and  arduous.  Pie\.  S.  }\.  Iliggs, 
with  whom  wo  w<'re  intimat*ily  associated  in  missiouury  work 


OF    MIXNFHOTA    AND    ITH    I'EOI'l.K. 


84:{ 


at  tlmt  Btfttion,  st'<'iiij4  tlic  iiwmifcst  sncccsK  and  ^(hm\  rosultH 
of  iho  oxjXM-imont,  from  an  attitude  of  lolorntion  with  nuiuy 
doubtH  und  nus^iviu^s  as  to  iho  work,  wa8  conviurcd  and  con- 
vorti'd,  and  hccanio  n  warm  friond  and  faithfid  advocnle  of 
the  i)lan  and  work  of  t'stn  >lishinii;  anti  maintaininfjj  sonic  such 


manna 


1-lal 


)<»r  l)OMr(lin,i;-scli(i 


as  till-  sine  (|iia  nun  ( 


if  mii^ 


SHIOIS- 


ary  labor  aniouiti;  the  Dakotas,  and  ainonjjf  the  ahoriginrd  tribes 
of  the  Nortliwest  ;  and  hence  he  snbw^iuently  ventured  to 
establish  and  maintain  n  inannal-labor  b(iardinfj;-sc}jo(»l  at 
Hazlewood  station  near  Yellow  .M.dicine  ALjtney,  in  Miune- 
Bota  ;  and  always,  up  to  the  day  ol  liis  death,  h*'  fjjavo  me  the 
credit  of  inau;^iiratin|L(  and  Hueci  ^--Viilly  demonstrating''  th^ 
pra('tieal)ility  of  such  manual-labor  lioardin<:^-H(  1uk)1s  anion^ 
the  Dakotas.     Others  liad  tried  it.  but  failetl  in  the  at*<'m|)t. 

Ibit  our  oonneetioTi  with  the  Dakota  mission  was  not  of 
lon;(  continuance  oidy  about  live  years  w  hen,  owing  to  the 
failure  of  Mrs.  A. lam's  health,  wo  were  ••onstrained  to  reHi^n 
and  leave  that  field  of  labor,  and  go  East  in  order  to  se<'nre 
medical  treatment  of  INFrs.  Adam's  case,  [t  |)leas(  u  the  Lord 
to  l)lesH  th(>  chang(^  of  the  field  of  our  laJiors,  and  he  :neans 
used  for  the  recov(My  of  Mrs.  Adam's  health,  and  to  give  us 
work  in  tho  Home  field,  in  Minnesota,  as  at  8t.  Peter  and  in 
that  vicinity  for  a  nximber  of  years  conseeutiveiy,  dtiring  tho 
early  Rettlemeut  of  that  Ktato  ;  and  Inter,  to  widen  the  field  of 
my  labor  in  various  department s  of  rhrisfian  work,  and 
especiidly  in  preaching  the  Gospel  of  Christ ;  and  for  the 
j)eriod  of  ten  years  it  was  my  privilege  to  preach  the  (Jospej 
as  Chaplain  of  the  V.  S.  Armj',  previous  to  our  retnni  to  tl>e 
Dakotas,  the  j)eopleof  our  first  love  and  service  for  tho  INfaHter. 

We  are  n(»w,  by  the  special  and  wonderful  grac(«  of  ('o<l, 
engaged  once  more  in  mission-work,  among  the  l);ikotas. 
H«'re  at  Goodwill  unssion  station,  we  have  Bomo  few  of  tlio 
very  Iiiftliaiia  who  were  at  Jjaequiparle,  ^Minnesota,  and  whons 
wo  taught  ther(>  years  and  year.s  ago  ;  and  we  iiaveliere  many 
of  the  children  of  their  ciiildren,  in  tJiese  two  umnual-lnluu- 
schools,  that  of  Goodwit.!,  jtnd  that  of  the  V.  S.  Government- 
w.^hool,  in  all  upwards  of  two  hundred  pupils,  wtudiouH,  eon- 
tented,  intereHtiug  and  hoju'fid,  under  faithful  tuition,  di.sei- 
pline  and  training  in  knowleilge  uud  the  indu«trial  purHuita 
and  nvo(!ation8  of  Iffe. 


fl^iF 


M4 


i'KSWONAL   UKCOLLKCTIONH 


Wo  fe«l  uHHiirod  -  even  if  WO  <ilo  not  fnlly  mnit'i'HUinil  nil 
(ihout  tlin  way  llmt  w«»  Imvc  liet^n  le<l  and  hrou^^lit  to  ivHinno 
nuHHiotuiry  luhor  amonj:^  this  people,  so  |M»or  and  needy  thai 
our  luhorH  rnijuot  Iw  iti  vain,  nor  all  our  hopes  lie  lost  or 
dtHJipftoinU'd.  "  Hitherto  the  Lord  lias  lieli)ed  u;-;  ;"'  and  now, 
afU'r  more  than  forty  ycarH  iahor  an(i  perKonul  expen^Miee,  ho 
variwl,  in  the  reniembranee  of  rill  His  iov*-  an<l  mercy  and 
faith  In  inrss,  and  His  ^reat  and  preriouH  pronuneH  to  uh  as  in 
Hiw  Holy  Word,  we  can  well  atl'orfi  to  Irnnt  Him  in  lime  to 
con\«'. 

It  is  a  Truitt<<!r  of  deejj  iifartfelt  interest,  and  devout  thank- 
fulneHH  to  (}<m1,  that  we  liave  fx'cii  permittfd,  in  Hin  kind 
Providence,  to  have  wnne  hund»le  part  in  tin'  ^n-at  work  of 
layinj^thn  foundations  of  learning  and  irli^ion  in  this  the 
coinpMratively  ns'W  Northwest,  and  that  v.e  Imve  witnessed  the 
Hettienient,  j^rowtli  and  prot^pfrily  of  Minnesota  from  the  very 
bef^insun^f.     "  liehoid  whatCioil  hath  wroutjht !" 

The  n'mend)ran<'('  of  «»nr  aHsoeiation  and  work  with  the 
early  srttlfrs  and  pioneer  frienils  is  to  us  In-re,  in  our  mission 
home,  out  on  tiir  eotvau  des  prairies  of  Dakota,  very  pn^rious 
MJid  grateful  indeetl  ;  and  from  this  luLdj  elevation,  so  near 
iwinven  iilMive,  we  do  most  heartily  ron<^ratulat<>  you  ail  in  tli'' 
«BJoynu'nt  of  your  Christum   homes,  home-eomforts,  and  the 


ini 


fold 


t)lesHinf^s,  e<un 


forts 


and  liojM's  o 


f  CI 


instian  )iSH<ieiu- 


tioiiK  Hud  vvorii,  t»t  the  honor  ol'  Christ  and  the  ultimate  i^lory 


of  lJ(Ml. 


Yourw,  very  trulv, 


M.  is.  Adamh. 


,M«.v-JlK«>«*6^i«»SS«l(j*fa>il>J.JS««»l5»>!^^ 


CHAl'TER  XI.V 


I 


THAVKL   IN   THE    KAIU.Y    DAYS   OF    MINNKHOTA  -  JOUHNEY    AFOOT 
FHOM  I'EMUINA  TO  FOUT  HNKLI.INO  FIITY  YKAH.S  AOO. 

From  tlio  piiviitt'  joMnial  <»f  Hon.  ISlMrliii  McLcod  wocjoote 
an  nrcoiiril, of  liis  junriicy,  iiccompniiiril  l)y  two  l>iiti.sh  otlictTH, 
with  i'icno  Uoftiiirau  uHj^uidf,  frotii  )*»>ml)iim  to  I''t.  KiH-llhit; 

Sunday,  'JCtlli  Fohruary,  18157.  Left  La  Foun-h,  Red  Itivt  r 
Colony,  'IV'rritory  of  Hudson's  IJay,  in  tlic  ov«aunf^,  and  rann- 
throe  niilt'H  up  the  Ht'tllout-nt  fo  prepare  for  an  oarly  Hlart  1(»- 
niorrow  lo  St.  J'eterH,  7.'>0  miles  from  this    on  foot. 

Monday,  Feb.  2."?  Started  at  d/iybreak  ;  <'>ld,  with  a  sharp 
hfad-wiiid.  AIhuiI  M)  j).  m.  a  sovoro  Hnt»w-Htorm  oon)nu'n<'i'(l  ; 
ol)lif^(>d  to  take  shehi-r  in  tho  houHo  of  Mr.  Mi<klejohn.  ('anus 
ai>ont  nin<i  niilen  ;  i)  p.  n».  cleared  olT  ;  proHpe<'tf<  of  aline  ilay  ; 
preparini(  snow-Hhoes,  etc.,  for  journey. 

'I'ueh  lay.  •JSth.  Started  at  dayhrcak  ;  had  waikiiifj;,  kuow 
deep,  croKHcd  the  Ion;.;:  traverse  atxi  waited  until  tht>  doj^H 
<'aiue  up.  At  'A  \>.  iM.  had  to  eiK  iun(>  ;  dojLfH  too  falri;.^ued  to 
prcM'ecd  ;  don;H  never  travel   well  the  first  day. 

Wet Inenday,  March  I.  I icft  encampment  at  .sunriK(>  ;  found 
it  exceed  iuLi:ly  »old  slcepinj^  out  aftci-  hav  in^  hcen  in  'he  hoUHc 
for  two  monllis.  ("anu'  forty  mihv,  to-day.  Arri\e(i  at  a 
Khanty  where  we  foun<l  ft>urleen  perHtHis,  nun,  women,  and 
children,  without  food.  They  li'id  heeti  living  for  seven  days 
on  an  occanional  Ium*  and  plc-sisant.  The  hunler'n  life  is  ever 
H  precariouh  one.  \\  e  r«-lii'v-(l  them  witli  pemnucan  from 
our  HtiM'k  for  the  jouniey,  wh  ch  will  in  all  prohahility  \>ii  tlit> 
rauHe  ut  our  fastiufj;  s«uut'  dny^  hefcue  we  reach  Lake  Traverse, 
the  first  tr»din<;"-poKi  from  this,  distant  more  than  KM)  tniles 
!'liursday,2<l.  1 -•-ft  shanty  early  ;  moiiiinj^  pleasant  ;  struck 
off  lutti  the  plain  at    the   iicuid   of  Swamp    river,  fr<»ui  thonce 


ww^ 


84(; 


I'KltSON  A  L     IlKroLLECTTONS 


,W. 


nifuh'  H  lon^  Imvt'rsc  ion  point  on  !'fml>iiia  i-i\(  r  tiftccn  miles 
from  the  li«-iiil,  wlu'iM'  wr  t'ii<iim|«'il,  lm\  inj^  cimic  iiion^  tlian 
forty  iiiilt's  lo-(l(iy.  This  is  my  third  «hiy  on  Hiiow-shoew,  uml 
I  feel  cxcct'dinLfly  fati^iUMl. 

I'^ritl.iy,  •{<!.  Hud  a  cold  atid  stormy  iiii^ht  ;  uiiahlt*  to  h'(»vo 
CHiii|>  l>cfor(!  1)  ()'rlo<'k  ;  wind  alu'ud  until  [:l  o'clock,  when  it 
cluiiii^cd  to  tile  north  and  bnnif^ht  with  it  a  snow-stornt  whic'i 
caiii^ht  lis  on  the  prairie  many  miles  from  shelter  ;  '■>  p.  m. 
came  to  a  small  wood   on   the   lieiid   of   ToMLTiie  river  ;  one  of 


our  pai-ty. 


Mr.  I' 


no 


t    1 


laviULC    come  up,  we  encampe(| 


M 


I*,  has  n»)  snow-shoes  ;  he  persistecl  in  not  lirini^iuLf  any  with 
him,  which  may  yet  leail  to  unhappy  conse(piences,  as  he  is 
unahle  to  keep  np  with  u>  on  the  plains,  and  should  we  he 
separated  l»y  a  storm  he  will  inevitably  perish  ;  indeed  the 
])oor  fellow  this  day  said  that  he  would  perish  in  this  jouriu^y. 
F'el    miserably  fati^^ued.  and   my  feet    are    s<'vere]y  blistered 


vvith  the  st rim's  of  the  sn 


ow-slioes  ;   at    every  step   th(> 


bl. 


from  my  tocH  oozes  thi'oui^h  my  moccHwins.  We  <ame  thronj^di 
n  beatitifnl  prairie  to-day  eiudosed  on  three  sides  by  woods 
wliich  can  lie  distinctly  seen  from  the  middle  of  th(>  prairie  ; 
on   the  north   by  the   wood   on   i'endiina  river. 


^t  by  V 


em- 


bina  mountain,  south  by  the  trees  borderinj^ 'I'onLfue  riy«'r 
forminyf  almost  a  complete  circle  of  at  least  KM)  miles. 

^larch  bh.      Came  a  lon;^  distance  to-«lay  ;  snow  deep  and 
very  heavy,    which    closjjs    the    snow-sho 


»es    and    maKes 


tl 


lem 


(>xceed in.n'ly  fati^ninn  to  carry.  Iwicamped  on  a  branch  of 
Park  rivei-  ;  tind  .Major  Long's  map  of  the  conntry  very 
incorrect. 

Sunday,  oth.  I'!ncamped  at  !!  p.  m.  on  a  bend  of  tlu»  Booond 
branch  of  Park  river,  near  the  coleau  t\f!^  prairies,  liaving 
come  about  lifteen  ndles  ttuly  ;  Hnowinj;  fast,  which  obli^^ed 
us  to  camp.  All  the  rivers  in  tills  conntry  are  very  crooked, 
and  the  tindter  jLjrowin;^' up<in  their  lianks  is  in  every  instance 
that  I  have  seen  in  proportion  to  the  si/.e  of  the  stream.s. 

.Monday,  (It  h,  liad  walking  ;  snow  deep;  en<"amped  at  'J 
p.  m.  on  Saline  river,  one'  of  <»ur  party  being  too  fatigued  to 
procet'd.  Came  about  eighteen  nnlts  through  an  immense 
burnt  prairie.  'I'lie  further  southward  we  com(«  the  nuui 
Buow  we  find.  Hanks  of  the  Saline  \ery  high,  with  tindn  i 
(olm  and  oak  I  growing  down   their  sides   to  the  edge  of  tlie 


^.^.^jMa-.^ 


MHtWM'*' 


OF    MINNKSOTV    AM)    ITS    I'KOI'LK. 


347 


•: 


Htn''iim  which  in  five  yanls  wide.  Near  the  month  of  the 
viver  m  a  salt  fiu-tory  m  hirh  must  provo  profitnljh'  uh  kiiU  is 
worth  Kixtccii  Hhil!in;;>4  jx^r  hnsliol  at  11.  11.  Sottlomcnt  250 
miles  ht'iK-o.  The  water  liere  is  perfectly  fresh  nnil  palatable; 
it  is  from  u  siiuill  lake  about  twenty  miles  ft-om  this  down- 
wanls  that  the  saline  flows. 

March  7th.  L/ist  ni!.^ht  oxcossively  coM  ;  to-day  unable  to 
leave  camp  ;  so  stormy  that  it  is  imp»»Hsil)le  to  see  the  dis- 
tance of  ton  yards  on  the  plain,  ami  the  distance  to  the  next 
wood  or  place  of  encampment  is  n><>r<>  than  thirty  miles, 
which  would  endauLfcr  our  lives  should  w«>  attfMUpt  to  cross 
the  plain  in  th(»  storm.  Sucl-  is  one  of  the  many  disadvan- 
taj^es  encountered  by  the  tra  ler  in  this  ^ijloomy  rej^ion  at 
thifi  inclement  season. 

March  8.  "Wind  north  and  j)iercini.<  <()ld  on  the  prairie. 
Crossed  the  ^n>at  plain  and  arrived  at  Turtle  river  at  3  p.  m., 
where  we  encamped  ;  «'amo  thirty  miles. 

March  9.  pjxc<»ssively  oold  and  st^^rmy  until  noon  ;  came 
lon>^  distance  to-day  ;  encamped  lontj  after  sundown  on  a 
branch  of  Goose  river;  feel  very  fati^^ned  ;  my  feet  cut  and 
swollen  from  the  continual  u.se  of  tlu*  snow-shoes  which, 
however,  1  bet^in  to  like,  and  prefer  ktH'jjin^  them  on  where 
tl  "6  is  but  little  snow,  and  where  they  mi^ht  be  dispensed 
with  ;  I  also  find  (sore  as  my  f»><»t  are)  that  I  travel  a  ^^reater 
dibtunco  in  a  day  wi*h  than  withcmt  them  ;  such  is  (nistom. 

March  11.  Unalleto  make  the  "  ^'rande  traverse"  ( lifty 
miles)  to  Shienne  -iver,  the  day  l)eiug  misty,  and  the  land- 
marks wliich  trnule  the  traveler  <m  the  plain  not  visible. 
Came  a  short  di.stance  and  encamp«»<l  on  the  lower  tribut/iry 
of  ( ioo.se  riv»'r. 

March  12.  Started  at  daybreak,  route  principally  on  immense 
hills  ;  not  a  tree  or  shrub  visible  ;  saw  thirteen  buH'aloes  ; 
one  shot  at  by  the  j^uide,  l)ut  not  killed,  thouj^di  severely 
wounded  ;  Mr.  P.  unable  to  keep  up  with  us  ;  afraid  to  lose 
him,  conset]nently  wh  are  unable  to  ^ret  across  the  plain  to  a 
place  of  encampment  ;  oblijj;ed  to  Uike  up  our  place  of  rest  for 
the  nififht  in  a  pond  amon^  a  few  nishes,  the  only  shelter  for 
miles  around  in  this  dreary  and  monotonous  region.  During 
the  past  numths,  iu  moments  of  extrenie  suffering,',  I  have 
seen  pnd  felt  the  interyxisition  at  a  ruling  and  merciful  I'rov- 


Pf 


348 


PEllHONAL  KEC0LLECTI0N8 


(lence.  This  evening,  while  we  were  all  HuflFering  the  sever- 
(^8t  torments  for  want  of  wat^r,  and  without  hope  of  getting 
any  for  many  hourH,  tlie  guide  espied  at  a  distance  the  car- 
cases of  two  buffaloes.  Being  a  hunter  himself,  curiosity  led 
him  to  the  spot  "when,  Lo  !  to  his  great  delight  and  our  relief, 
he  found  a  few  small  pieces  of  wootl,  brought  there  by  a 
hunter  a  few  days  previous,  by  which  means  W(>  were  enabled 
to  melt  a  kettle  of  snow. 

March  13.  Passi'd  a  more  comfortable  night  than  we  had 
expected  ;  morning  miserable,  having  to  creep  out  from 
under  our  bulTnlo  skins,  tie  on  our  snow-shoes,  and  take  to  the 
plain   to   warm   tturselves  ;  no   tire,  no   water,  no   breakfast. 

I  took  a  small  i)iece  of  frozen  penmiican,  and  ate  it  with  a 
handfuU  of  snow,  at  the  same  time  walking  as  fast  as  possible 
to  warm  myself.  Soon  after  W(^  started  a  violent  storm  came 
on  ;  gtiide  said  we  were  lost  and  would  all  perish  ;  advised 
him  to  take  a  direct  course,  as  near  as  possible,  and  for  that 
pur{)ose  to  keep  before  the  wind.  At  3  p.  m.,  having  walked 
since  daybreak  more  than  thirty  miles,  we  perceived  through 
the  drift  a  clump  of  trees,  where  we  arrived  soon  after,  happy 
to  escape  j)asBing  a  second  night  on  the  plain,  where  it  is 
more  than  probable  we  should  have  been  all  frozen  to  death. 
The  guide  says  we  did  not  come  much  out  of  our  route,  and 
that  we  are  on  a  branch  of  Shienne  river,  called  the  river  of 
rush(>s. 

March  M.  liast  night  st)  cold  could  not  get  a  moment's 
sleep  ;  to-day  in  cuinp  ;  giiide  unable  to  go  on,  with  sore  eyes. 

March  1').  Last  night  us  cold  as  the  former  ,  day  j)leasant  ; 
in  camp  ;  g»ii(h'  still  unable  to  "see  his  way". 

Miireli  l().  I'ame  through  two  prairies  and  eiu-auiped  on 
Shi(Mnie  river. 

A    MOST    DISASTllol'S   TURN    IN   THE    EVENTS   OF    THE    DAY. 

Friday,  March  17th,  1837.  This  morniug,  when  we  left  the 
camp,  the  weather  was  very  mild  and  pleasant  ;  guide  dis- 
i'overed  tracks  of  a  (h^er  and  w<'nt  in  pursuit  of  it  ;  meantime 
Mr.  H.,  Mr.  P.  and  myself,  directed  our  course  across  the 
plain  towards  a  point  »»f  wo<k1  on  Rice  river  ;  suddenly  about 

II  o'<'i(K'k  a  storm  from  the  north  came  on  that  no  pen  cat 
describe.  We  made  toward  the  wood  as  last  as  possible  .  it 
was  distant  a))out  three   miles.     I  was  foremost,  the  dogs  foU 


OF   MINNEHOTA   AND    ITH    I'EOl'LK. 


U\) 


lowinj^  cloBe  to  nie,  Mr.  H.  not  fnr  diHtanl,  Mr.  P.  two  miles 
behind.  In  a  few  moments  nothing  whs  perceptible,  and  it 
waa  with  difHciiUy  that  I  could  k(!ep  myself  from  HutVocatinj;  ; 
however,  1  hastened  (m  and  in  a  short  time  caught  a  glintpse 
of  the  wood  through  a  drifting  cloud  of  snOw.  I  was  then 
not  nuH'e  than  three  hundred  y'"''l^  fnmi  it,  as  near  as  T  cim 
possibly  judge.  At  that  instant  1  also  saw  Mr.  H.,  who  had 
come  up  within  tliirty  yjirds  of  me  and  called  out  that  I  was 
going  the  wrong  course,  exclaiming,  "  keep  mon^  to  the  right". 
I  replied,  "  No,  no  ;  follow  me  iiui<'k.''  I  perceivt^l  him  to 
stoop,  j)rol)ably  to  arrange  the  strings  of  liis  snow-shoes.  In 
an  instant  aftt-rwarfls  an  immense  cloud  of  drifting  snow  hid 
him  from  my  view  and  1  saw  him  nomoue.  I  cannot  describe 
what  my  feelings  then  were  ;  what  must  they  have  l)een  in  a 
few  seconds  afterwards  when  I  found  myself  at  the  bottom  of 
a  ravine  more  than  twenty  feet  deep,  from  which  1  had  to  use 
th(>  greatest  exertion  to  save  myself  from  bi'ing  siitFocate(l  by 
the  snow  which  was  drifting  down  upon  me.  llpon  gaining 
the  edge  of  the  ravine,  which  I  effected  with  the  great^'st 
difficulty,  having  my  snow-shoes  still  on,  as  my  iiands  w<'re 
too  (did  to  nnti«>  the  strings  of  them,  which  were  frozen,  I 
f(mnd  the  poor  I'aitldul  dogs  with  their  traineau  l)uried  in  a 
snow-bank.  Having  tlug  them  out,  my  next  effort  was  to  gain 
the  wood,  which  I  knew  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
ravine  about  twenty  yards  t)ver,  yet  I  could  not  distinguish  a 
tree,  so  close  and  thick  was  the  snow  drifting.  An  iioiir's 
exertion  with  the  dogs  ami  traineau  through  the  deepsnow  in 
the  ravine  brought  me  into  the  edge  of  the  wood,  which  I 
f<mnd  was  composed  of  only  a  few  scattered  trees,  which 
woidd  afford  but  a  niiserablt>  shelter.  I  tried  to  make  a  tin\ 
My  nuitches  were  all  wet ;  my  hands  were  too  cold  to  strike  a 
B])ark  with  the  flint  and  steel  ;  what  can  be  don«^  V  "I  nnist 
not  perish,"  said  I  to  myself.  I  then  thought  of  my  compan- 
ions. Alas,  poor  fellows  !  then*  can  be  no  hope  for  you,  as  1 
have  all  the  blankets,  buffalo-robes,  provisions,  &c.,  the  dogs 
having  followed  me  in  the  storm.  Having  dug  a  hole  in  a 
Bnow-!)auk,  I  made  a  rtort  of  shelter  with  my  cloak  and  a 
blanket,  and  rolled  myself  in  a  blanket  and  a  largo  buffalo- 
robe.  I  was  then  completely  wet  through,  for  a  shower  of 
sleet  had  accompanied  the  storm ;  in  a  few  moments  it  began 


m 


SfK) 


l»EH80NAL    KECOLLEdTIONH 


to  fropzp  ;  I  WHH  thon  ho  cold  that  T  f<>an'(l  mnrh  tlmt  I 
hhould  poriHh  duriiii^  tlic  iiii,'Iit.  'IMu'  niuflii  cniiu'  ;  tho  storm 
conlimuMl  uiui))iit(>d  ;  my  Hituution  was  truly  iiiisc'rultlt'  ;  com- 
paiiionH  and  jifiiido  in  all  probability  poriHhod  ;  inyHclf  in  j^ront 
dftn^(*r  of  froozing  also  ;  and  in  a  Htraiif^o  country  Homo  hun- 
(Irod  miles  from  any  Hcttlcnicnt  or  tradinj^-poHt.  I  cannot  say 
what  1  folt,  althouL^li  my  usual  frcliuLfs  would  raiso  to  my 
rcliof  frocjuontly,  and  I  would  tuiy  to  myself,  "  What  is  passod 
cannot  be  helped  ;  better  luck  next  time  ;  lake  it  «!oolly" — 
which  I  was  evidently  doin^'  with  a  venj^eance.  The  greater 
part  of  the  night  was  passful  listening  to  the  roaring  of  the 
Htorra,  and  the  dismal  howling  of  the  wolves,  tog(>ther  with 
the  pleasant  ocrcupatiim  of  rubbing  my  feet  to  koej)  them 
from  freezing. 

Saturday,  IHth.  Never  was  light  more  welcome  to  a  mortal. 
At  dawn  [  crept  from  my  hole,  and  soon  after  heard  cries. 
Fired  two  shots  ;  soon  after  guide  cam(>  tip  ;  he  had  escaped 
by  making  a  fire,  and  being  a  nativ(>,  and  a  half-blood,  his 
knowledge  of  the  country  an.d  its  dangers  savcnl  him.  Mr.  P. 
was  fotind  with  both  his  legs  and  feet  frozen.  All  s(>arch  for 
Mr.  IT.  proved  ineffectual.  Itemained  all  day  near  the  scene 
of  our  disast(!r  in  th»>  hope  that  some  traci<  (tf  iNIr.  H.  might 
be  f(mnd. 

Sunday,  lOth.  Started  early  with  poor  P.  on  the  dog  train- 
eau,  having  left  all  our  luggage  ])ehind  ;  at  2  p.  m.  found 
dogs  unable  to  proceed  with  P.,  'uid  he  suiTering  too  much  to 
bear  the  pain  occasioned  by  moving  about.  With  the  h(>lp  of 
guide  made  a  hut  to  leave  Mr.  P.  in,  where  he  will  .-eniain  for 
five  or  six  days  until  I  can  s(Mid  horses  for  him  from  Ijako 
Traverse,  sixty  miles  from  this.  Left  with  P.  all  our  blankets 
and  robes,  except  a  blanket  each  (guide  and  myself)  ;  also 
plenty  of  wood  cut,  and  ice  near  his  lodg<>  to  make  water  of. 
Out  of  provisions  ;  obliged  to  kill  one  of  our  dogs  ;  dog-meat 
excel  IcMit  eating. 

Mimduy,  March  20.  ^[orning  stormy,  accompanied  with 
snow  ;  unal)lo  to  leave  camp  till  2  p.  m.,  when  guide  and 
myself  started  ;  came  a  long  distance  and  encamped  in  the 
liois  di-a  Sioux  ;  feel  very  weak  and  unwell. 

March  21.  L»(ft  the  Hois  des  Sioux  at  sunrise  and  arrivefl  at 
dark  at  the  trading-house  at  Lake  Traverse,  having  traveled 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


851 


forty-fivo  mil«'H  to-day,  witli  a  Be\'oro  pain  in  my  Kid*-  and  knee. 

Marcli  :J2tl.    At  tni(lin^,'-li<»UHO  ;  fct'l  iimvell. 

Mai'cli  *2I{.  Scut  the  guide  with  anotlicr  jKTson  and  two 
liorHcs  and  a  cart  for  Mr.  P.  and  my  trunk,  Ac,  with  inatruc- 
tion.s  \o  the  nu'H  to  warch  for  the  body  of  Mr.  H.,  in  order 
that  it  may  bo  decently  interred  at  the  trading-liouHe. 

.Vpril  Int.  For  tlio  past  nine  (hiys  luive  reinainod  at  the 
tradinjij-houHe,  where  I  am  well  treated  by  Mr.  Brown,  the 
^^tmtlenum  in  charge  for  the  American  Fnr  Company.  Saw 
the  game  of  hi  cro.sHo  played  vc^ry  fnMjuently,  both  by  the 
wiuawH  and  IndiauH,  It  in  a  very  interesting  game  when  well 
contesttnl,  and  the  female  players  are  mo.st  astonishingly 
expert. 

April  2d.  This  morning  the  two  men  returned.  Poor  P. 
is  no  more.  They  found  him  in  his  hut,  dead.  He  had 
taken  otT  the  greater  part  of  his  clothes,  no  doubt  in  tlio 
delirium  of  a  fever  caused  by  the  excruciating  i)ain  of  his 
frozen  feet.  In  the  hut  was  found  nearly  all  tin*  wood  we 
left  him,  his  food,  and  a  kettle  of  water  partially  frozen. 
Everything  indicat(>d  that  ho  died  the  second  or  third  day 
after  (mr  departure  from  him.  No  trace  of  the  Ixxly  of  Mr. 
H.  was  found.  The  poor  fellow  has  long  (>ro  this  become 
food  for  the  savage  animals  that  prowl  around  tlu'so  bound- 
less wilds.  Thus  has  miserably  perished  a  young  and  amia- 
ble man  at  the  ag«>  of  twenty,  in  the  full  vigor  of  youth,  full 
of  high  hopes  and  expectations. 

April  3.  This  day  poor  P.  was  consigned  to  his  last  alKxlo, 
the  silent  and  solitary  tomb.  It  is  a  source  of  ccmsolation  to 
me,  amid  my  troubles,  that  I  have  been  enabled  to  perform 
this  last  duty  to  a  friend  with  all  due  respect.  Would  tluit  I 
could  say  the  same  of  Mr.  Hayes.  I  have,  however,  left 
directions  with  all  the  Indian.s  near  this  post  to  search  for  his 
bones  and  inter  them.  They  are  about  to  depart  on  their 
spring  hunts  and  will  in  all  prol)ability  tin«l  his  renuiins.  I 
CAN  DO  NO  .Moiii:. 

April  .'),  1S.'{7,  left  Lake  Traverse  at  10  o'clock  ;  canu!  twenty 
miles  through  a  hilly  prairie,  and  oncannK'd  at  3  p.  m. 

April  (»,  came  forty  miles  to-day,  and  encamped  at  Pomme 
de  Terre  river. 

Friday,  April  7.     Cold  and  stormy  ;  had  some  difficulty  in 


352 


I'KltSONAL    llECOLLKfTloNS 


in  m 


fftiWuvj;  HcntHs  I'oniiiu'  tie  T»'rrr  river  ;  iniuK'  tin*  Iiofhoh  Hwiin  ; 
got  Iho  baj^^aj;*'  iiiul  the  curt  across  on  s«niu'  pUTt'S  of  jaiiiini'd 
ice  ;  nrrivi'd  at  Ljiciiuiparle  at  *2  p.  in.;  well  received  by  Mr. 
Kcnville,  who  has  a  Iradiuf^-post  for  the  Indians  here. 

Saturday,  A|)ril  H.  As  tiie  weather  appears  unsettled,  pre- 
vailed upon  by  Mr.  II.  to  remain  with  him  till  Monthly.  Tiv 
day  visited  n  Mr.  Williamson,  a  missionary  sent  ir*o  this 
country  two  years  ago  by  the  American  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions,  for  the  conversion  of  the  Dakttta  Tndians  of  this 
plac(>.  Mr.  W.'s  family  resides  with  him.  lie  has  two 
UHsistants  ( a  young  lady,  his  wife's  sister,  and  a  young  nuui 
who  tried  to  convert  me)  in  his  arduous  undertaking  Mr. 
W.  can  now  speak  a  good  deal  of  the  Dakota  language,  and 
I  believe  has  uuide  some  transhitions  from  the  IJible. 

Sunday,  April  '.).  Went  to  hear  Mr.  W.  preach,  lie  also 
read  a  chapter  from  the  'restament  in  Dakota,  and  a  young 
num  present  another  in  French.  A  number  of  tin*  Psalms  of 
David  were  Hung  in  Dakota  by  half-breeds  and  Indians.  'I'ho 
audience  consisted  of  half-breeds,  Indians,  Canadians,  and  a 
few  whites. 

Monday,  April  10.  Came  thirty  miles  ;  encampou  at  5  p.  m. 
at  river  L'eau  (U'  vie. 

April  11.  Canu»  thirty-live  milen  ;  encamped  at  (5  p.m. 
near  the  St.  PetiM's  river.  Cri>ssed  to-ihiy  Custor  and  Petite 
rivers.     Saw  a  great  number  of  Hocks  of  wild  gee.se  and  swans. 

April  1'2.  Came  thirty  miles  ;  encamped  at  (5  p.  m.  in  a 
small  grove  of  oaks. 

Ajjril  lU.  Came  thiity  miles  ;  encamped  at  5  p.  m.  at  tlie 
Monte  de  Siou.x,  at  tlu>  trading-liouse  of  Mr.  ProvencaUe. 

Friday,  April  1-1.  Embarked  at  sunrise  in  a  canoe  with 
Indians  and  stpiaws  who  are  going  down  to  where  the  St. 
Peters  joins  the  Mississippi  at  Fort  Snelling.  Have  for  com- 
pany ten  Indians  and  s([uaws,  in  three  canoes.  These  people 
have  in  one  of  tlu'ir  canoes  the  bodies  of  two  of  their  deceased 
relatives,  which  they  intend  carrying  to  a  lake  near  the  Mis- 
sissipjji  more  than  one  hundred  miles  from  this.  In  nuiuy 
instances  these  peojjle  bring  the  bodies  of  their  friends  much 
farther  when  it  is  tlie  wish  of  the  dying  person  to  be  depos- 
ited in  a  particular  i)lace  At  3  p.  m.  obliginl  to  encamp  in 
consequence  of  rain  coming  on.     Here  I  found  the  benefit  of 


OF   MINNKHOTA   AND   ITH   I'KOI'LK. 


naii 


H  ^<mhI  Hkin-l(Kl)L('>,  which  waw  put  up  by  the  ft'iiuih'H  in  a  Hhort 
tiiiH',  uiul  we  all  j^t)t  uikUt  it  round  a  Huu^f  fire,  «'tM)k('<l  our 
victuals,  and  felt  cx(•('(•din^^ly  conifortahli'. 

Saturd/iv,  April  l.*).  Morning  rainy  ;  did  not  h'avc  cn- 
canipnicnt  till  11  o'clock  ;  3  p.  m.  passed  Petite  rapids,  antl 
arrived  at  tlie  tradin|j;-house  of  Mr.  iMirihault,  where  we 
Btopped  a  few  nioin(>nts. 

Sunday,  April  1(1.  Three  p.  m.,  at  lonj^  last,  have  arrived 
at  Fort  Snellin^,  Kt.  Peters,  having  escaped  a  variety  of  dan- 
gers, and  endured  great  fatigue  and  privations  iu  the  Sioux 
country. 

MK-MOHANDl'MS. 

To-day,  April  20,  1SU7,  wrote  to  Alex'r  Christie,  eH([.,  Hon. 
Hudson  Hay  ("o.,  giving  him  the  particulars  of  my  unfortu- 
nate and  melancholy  journey  from  Hed  river.  Wrote  also  to 
Mr.  Jjogan  and  Mr.  Millian  of  Ked  river.  May  H  sent  them 
by  Mr.  Bottineau,  the  guide.  April  22,  wrote  to  J.  H.  IJ., 
Lake  Traverse,  recjuesting  him  to  inform  me  of  the  result  of 
th(>  Indians'  search  for  the  remains  of  my  inifortunate  friend, 
Mr.  Hayes.  Wrote  to  Mr.  lienvilh*,  Laccpiiparle.  Wrote  to 
Mr.  G.  H.  P.,  a  missioiuiry  assistant  at  Laccpiiparle. 

Saint  Peters,  May  2'.»th,  1887.  -  Saw  Frenier,  a  half-breed 
Sioux  from  l^ake  Traverse,  who  informed  me  that  the  band 
of  Indians  who  hunted  this  spring  not  far  fn)m  the  scene  of 
our  disaster  on  the  17th  of  March,  had  been  unsuccessful  in 
their  search  for  the  remains  of  Mr.  Haye.s.  There  cannot 
now  be  any  lu>pe  of  his  remains  being  ever  heard  of,  at  least 
by  me,  as  I  shall  h-ave  this  |)lace  in  a  few  days  hence. 
Tiiiiisr  IN  sN()W-('()Vi;iu;i)  corNriiiKs. 

Travelers  have  not  di'eme<l  the  fact  worth  mentioning,  and 
therefore  no  one  who  has  not  sutfered  can  imagine  or  believe 
that  during  the  winter  man  is  expt)sed  on  the  cold  and  snow- 
covered  ])lainH  of  North  America  to  the  most  painful  of  priva- 
tions; that  even  while  walking  on  fro/en  water,  he  is  Hgoiii/e<l 
by  parched  and  burning  lips  ;  and  that  by  snow,  eaten  un<Ier 
such  circumstances,  the  thirst  of  the  traveleroi-  hunter  is  pro- 
portionally iiu'reased.  When  out  in  either  of  thes(>  capacities 
the  agony  sustained  by  them  from  thirst  is  often  very  great ; 
it  is  truly  painful  while  it  lasts,  and  contrary  to  the  suH'erer's 
expectation,  he  tinds  that  by  eating  snow  liis  mouth  is  more  and 


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PERSONAL   liECOLLECTlONS 


I;  I 


more  inflamed,  and  his  desire  for  drink  fearfully  augmented  ; 
while  a  lassitude  comes  over  him  which  water  only  can  dissipate. 

It  is  to  be  oliserved,  however,  that  it  is  only  on  the  plains 
that  the  experienced  hunter  or  traveler  is  exposed  to  such  hard- 
ships. That  occurs  frequently  in  this  country  where  the  trav- 
eler's route  is  for  the  most  part  through  wide  plains,  covered 
with  long  rank  grass  and  snow  stretched  out  in  all  directions, 
picsenting  a  smooth,  white,  unbroken  surface  terminating  in 
the  horizon. 

Everyone  going  to  any  distance,  at  this  season,  carries  as  an 
essential  article  in  his  equif)ment  a  small  kettle  in  which  he 
melts  snow  and  boils  water.  To  allow  the  water  to  boil  is  a 
necessary  part  of  the  process  ;  for  if  the  snow  is  merely  melted 
the  water  has  a  smoked  and  bitter  taste,  and  a  drink  of  it  if  far 
from  refreshing.  On  the  contrary,  when  the  water  is  allowed 
to  boil,  and  then  cooled  by  throwing  into  it  plenty  of  the  pur- 
est snow,  no  spring  water  is  more  delightful  to  the  taste  or 
more  satisfying  to  the  wants  of  the  thirsty  traveler. 

BUFFALO   HUNTING    IN   THE   WEST. 

The  first  season  of  the  buffalo  hunting  commences  about  the 
i5th  of  June,  and  is  continued  to  the  1st  of  August.  The  sec- 
ond season  commences  in  September  and  terminates  late  in  the 
fall,  generally  about  the  1st  of  November,  leaving  time  suffi- 
cient to  return  home  before  the  cold  weather  sets  in.  I  allude 
to  the  Brules'  hunting,  as  the  Indians  who  inhabit  the  buffalo 
co^intry  kill  these  annimals  at  all  seasons. 

The  Brules  iisually  set  out  with  five  hundred  to  six  hundred 
carts,  drawn  principally  by  oxen,  their  wives  and  daughters 
accompanying  these  carts  for  the  purpose  of  preparing  the 
meat,  which  is  done  by  stripping  it  from  the  bones,  and  spread- 
ing it  upon  a  scaffold  of  poles  elevated  three  to  four  feet  from 
the  ground,  under  which  they  build  a  fire  of  the  buffalo  dung. 
In  this  manner  they  continue  to  dry  the  meat  as  fast  as  it  is 
killed  by  the  hunters.  It  requires  the  flesh  of  twelve  of  the 
largest  animals  thus  prepared  to  load  a  cart  drawn  by  one  ox  ; 
and  allowing  six  hundred  carts  to  the  spring  season,  would 
make  seven  thousand  two  hundred  of  these  animals  killed  in 
about  a  month  by  the  Brules  alone,  not  including  any  of  the 
various  Indian  tribes,  such  as  the  Sioux,  the  Mandans.  Gros- 
ventre  J,  &c.,  all  of  whom  inhabit  the  buffalo  country  and  des- 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND   ITS   PEOPLE, 


855 


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troy  these  animals  by  tnousands  ;  and  add  to  this,  too,  that  in 
the  spring  nearly  all  the  animals  killed  are  cows,  the  meat  of 
the  male  not  being  good  after  a  certain  season.  These  differ- 
ent causes  account  for  the  rapid  decrease  of  the  buffalo  within 
the  last  few  years.  I  have  been  informed  by  a  Brule  hunter 
that  at  the  last  hunt  they  had  to  go  a  journey  of  fifteen  days 
to  the  west,  six  farther  than  they  ever  went  b«^fore. 

In  the  fall  hunt,  besides  the  dried  meat,  they  make  pemmi- 
can,  and  also  bring  home  a  great  quantity  of  the  meat  in  its 
natural  state.  The  pemmican  is  made  by  drying  the  meat,  as 
I  before  mentioned  ;  it  is  then  beaten  into  small  pieces  and 
placed  intoasack  made  of  the  buffalo  skin,  into'  which  is  poured 
a  quantity  of  the  melted  fat  of  the  animal  ;  when  it  cools 
it  is  pressed  into  the  sack,  which  is  sewed  up  ;  in  this 
manner  it  will  keep  three  or  four  years.  The  sacks  are  various 
sizes,  but  the  common  sizes  are  from  one  hundred  to  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 

The  usual  number  of  horsemen  attending  these  hunts  are 
about  five  hundred  ;  however  not  more  than  from  two  to  three 
hundred  act  as  hunters,  and  are  those  who  possess  the  swiftest 
horses.  The  himters  are  exceedingly  expert  ;  notwithstanding 
which  many  accidents  occur.  I  have  seen  many  of  them  with 
broken  legs,  broken  arms,  and  disabled  hands  ;  this  latter 
accident  frequently  occurs  from  their  manner  of  loading  their 
guns.  They  n'ever  use  wadding.  The  powder  is  carelessly 
thrown  in,  in  more  or  less  (quantities,  the  ball  is  then  tumbled 
in  upon  it,  and  off  goes  the  shot.  This  is  done  to  save  time, 
and  it  is  almost  incredible  what  a  number  of  shots  one  perse 
will  discharge  in  riding  the  distance  of  three  or  four  miles, 
the  horse  at  the  top  of  his  speed. 

A  gentleman  who  has  liveil  many  years  in  the  buffalo  country 
says  that  upon  the  least  calculation  four  to  five  hundred 
thousand  of  these  animals  are  killed  yearly  on  this  side  of  the 
Missouri. 

ASSINIBOIN   BELIEF   IN   FUTUIRTY. 

The  Assiniboins  believe  that  in  another  life  to  obtain  endur- 
ing happiness  they  have  to  climb  a  very  high  and  steep 
mountain,  the  ascent  of  which  is  so  difficult  and  dangerous 
that  it  requires  many  attempts,  perseverance,  and  great  forti- 
tude to  gain  the  summit ;  but  once  there,  a  delightfid  and 


^m 


35r> 


PERiSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


Ixmmlless  plain  is  spread  before  them,  covered  with  eternal 
verdure  and  countless  herds  of  bufFalo  and  the  other  animals 
which  they  delight  to  liunt  ;  and  that  they  will  find  all  their 
friends  who  left  this  life  before  them,  enjoying  an  uninter- 
rupted course  of  hajjpiness,  dwelling  in  beautiful  skin  tents 
which  ever  a})pear  new 

Those  who  have  done  ill  in  this  life  and  have  been  success- 
ful enough  to  gain  the  summit  of  the  hill,  are  there  met  by 
the  dwellers  of  the  happy  plain,  and  those  who  knew  them  in 
this  life  b(vir  witness  against  them.  They  are  then  imme- 
diately thrown  down  the  steep,  and  should  their  necks  not  be 
broken,  nevcu'  again  attempt  an  ascent. 

Those  who  have  done  good  in  this  life  are  welcomed  with 
universal  joy,  and  immediately  admitted  to  all  the  i)rivilege8 
of  their  never-ending  Ininting  and  happiness. 

This  is  ecpial  to  the  Happy  Valley  in  Rasselas. 

JOURNEY  ALONG  THE  SOUTHERN  SHORE  OF  LAKE  SUPERIOR. 

In  OctobcM-,  1830,  Mr.  McLeod  made  the  journey  from  Sault 
St.  Marie,  following  the  lake  shore  by  boat  to  the  now  Min- 
nesota territory,  which  he  crossed  to  the  Red  river  of  the  North. 
Of  this  journey  we  quote  from  his  daily  record  of  the  events  : 
The  distance  from  the  Sault  to  La  Point  is  450  miles  as  we  had 
to  come  (that  is,  by  the  coast).  We  are  yet  sixty  miles  from 
La  Point,  consecpiently  have  been  twenty-four  days  coming 
390  miles.  In  this  route  we  met  with  many  daftgers.  At  this 
season  the  great  lake  is  continually  in  a  state  of  agitation,  and 
a  batteau  with  twenty-one  persons  and  provisions  in  it  is  a  no 
difficult  thing  to  swamp-  a  misfortune  which  we  luckily 
escaped  a  number  of  times. 

In  making  the  traverse  of  twenty-one  miles  at  Long  Point 
we  fortunately  got  a  few  hours  of  fair  weather,  but  no  sooner 
had  we  crossed  than  there  sprang  up  a  bi'eeze  which  would 
have  immortalized  us  all  in  a  very  few  moments.  The  Indians 
wait  a  number  of  days  for  good  weather  to  pass  this  dangerous 
traverse  ;  they  then  paddle  their  canoes  some  distance  from 
the  shore  and  commence  singing  a  hymn  to  the  Gn^at  Spirit, 
entreating  himtogivethem  fair  weather  until  they  have  crossed 
over  ;  after  which  men,  women,  and  children,  take  their  pad- 
dles and  work  silently  but  dilligently  until  they  have  crossed. 
Indeed  nothing  can  be  more  impressive  than  the  simple  but 


'oint 
boner 
'ould 
llians 
trous 
from 
birit, 
Used 
|pad- 
3sed. 
but 


OF  MINNESOTA   AND   ITS  PEOPLE. 


357 


sincere  manner  in  which  these  primitive  people  worship  the 
Great  Being.  One  instance  of  this  I  had  the  happiness  to 
witness  in  our  route  through  the  hike.  Ui'ion  a  very  calm 
night  while  at  least  three  miles  distant  from  what  we  all  sup- 
posed an  uninhabited  shore  we  suddenly  heard  a  number  of 
voices  singing.  Ui)on  inquiring  of  our  boatman  what  these 
voices  meant  he  immediately  replied,  with  an  air  of  great 
carelessness,  that  it  was  nothing  but  some  savages  praying, 
and  that  it  was  their  custom  always  to  solicit  the  Great  Spirit 
at  the  top  of  their  voices. 

The  ai)pearance  of  the  laud  along  the  whole  coast  of  the 
lake  is  not  at  all  favorable  for  agricultural  pursuits.  Indeed 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  it  will  never  be  settled.  There  are 
also  but  very  few  good  harbors  for  ships. 

Of  the  journey  from  Lake  Superior  to  the  Red  river  settle- 
ment Mr.  McLeod  writes  under  date  of  December  20tli,  1836  : 
The  whole  distance  we  had  traveled  on  foot  from  November 
26th,  as  we  came,  is  about  645  miles.  During  that  time  we 
lived  upon  a  pint  of  boiled  rice  each  per  t'ay,  and  were  four 
days  without  food  of  any  kind  except  two  ounces  each  of  meat 
and  a  small  partridge  divided  between  nine  persons. 

THE   LIFE   OF   MAN. 

How  vain  our  hopes  ;  how  futile  our  aspirations.  What  is 
the  life  of  man  ?  'Tis  but  the  shi  ^ow  of  an  existence  ;  yet  in 
that  shadow  of  a  shade  how  much  is  comprised  !  How  few 
there  are  who  can  look  back  to  the  bright  days  of  their  youth, 
the  simshine  of  life,  and  feel  that  their  drear  ;s  of  renown  and 
splendor,  or  the  more  virtuous  desire  of  domestic  happiness 
approach  realization.  All  life  is  ideal,  and  our  very  existence 
is  but  a  dream. 

But  a  few  brief  years  have  passed  since  I  entered  the  por- 
tals of  manhood,  yet  I  have  frequently  tasted  of  the  bitter 
fruit  of  this  transient  pilgrimage,  I  have  been  tossed,  like  a 
weed,  upon  the  waves  of  doubt  and  uncertainty,  and  have  seen 
the  friends  of  my  youth  wrecked  upon  the  shores  of  disap- 
pointment. I  have  seen  promises — the  most  solemn — broken  ; 
friendships  the  warmest— buried  in  the  cold  grave  of  oblivion 
or  forgetfulness  ;  and  ties  "  dearer  than  these,  than  all" — 
forever  crushed,  and  have  felt  the  misery  that  follows  them  ; 
and  yet  I  am  but  upon  the  verge  of  "  life's  journeying". 


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CHAPTEK  XLVI. 

EVENTS  OF   EIGHTEEN   HUNDRED  AND  SIXTY-TWO. 

It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  these  recollections  to  even 
attempt  a  connected  narration  of  the  local  events  transpiring 
at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  in  the  order  of  their  occurrence 
and  in  detail  to  the  present  time.  Our  record  is  nearing 
completion.  The  most  important  occurrences  of  the  year  1862 
here,  as  elsewhere,  were  in  relation  to  the  raising  of  troops 
for  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  and  for  the  protection  of  our 
immediate  frontier  from  the  Indians. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature  on  the  first  Wednesday 
of  January  the  pioneer  Presbyterian  minister  of  Minneapolis, 
Rev.  J.  C.  Whitney,  was  elected  chaplain  of  the  house  of 
representatives. 

The  establishment  of  a  pork-packing  house  in  Minneapolis 
by  P.  H.  and  A.  Kelly,  was  of  great  benefit  to  the  farmers. 

Reports  of  the  gallant  bearijig  of  the  Second  regiment  of 
Minnesota  volunteer  infantry  at  the  battle  of  Mill  Spring  gave 
great  satisfaction,  as  it  indicated  that  all  our  troops  would 
sustain  the  splendid  reputation  given  to  our  soldiery  by  the 
First  Minnesota. 

Wheat  was  only  fifty-five  cents  per  bushel  at  the  mills. 

Early  in  Fel)ruary  Dr.  A.  A.  Ames  graduated  at  Rush 
College.  This  was  the  first  graduation  of  a  Minneapolis  boy 
at  any  medical  college. 

H.  E.  Piirdy,  tlie  former  talented  editor  of  the  Plaindealer 
in  Minneapolis,  sold  out  ]\m  interest  in  the  newspaper  busi- 
ness in  Minnesota  and  removed  to  Belmont,  New  York,  where 
he  resumed  editorial  charge  of  the  Southern  Free-Trader. 


OF   MINNESOTA    AND   ITS   PEOPLE. 


359 


lolis 

I'S. 

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Col.  King  wns  of  tlio  opinion  that  Mr.  Pnrdy  used  porcupine 
quills  in  editorial  writing. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Minneapolis  Atheneum  this 
year  David  Morgan  was  elected  president,  Samxiel  C.  Gale 
vice-president,  David  C.  Bell  secretary,  and  Thomas  Hale 
Williams  treasurer.  The  board  of  directors  consisted  of  Dr. 
A.  L.  Bausman,  Frank  Beebe,  and  J.  H.  Green.  There  were 
at  that  time  only  1,718  volujnes  in  the  library. 

Godfrey  Sheitlin,  who  Iiad  been  a  resident  of  Minneapolis 
for  a  year  or  two,  engaged  largely  in  the  ginseng  trade,  pay- 
ing out  over  $50,000  during  the  year  for  the  root.  He  intro- 
duced borage,  rai)e,  and  poppy  seed  on  a  large  scale,  and 
found  those  ai'ticles  could  be  profitably  grown.  He  also 
experimented  in  making  wine  from  rluibard,  raspberry,  straw- 
berry, currant  and  cranberry.  In  all  he  made  some  fifty 
barrels  of  wine  out  of  the  different  native  fruits.  With  oth- 
ers he  established  a  large  linseed-oil  factory. 

On  March  9th  this  year  Dr.  C.  L.  Anderson  left  the  Falls 
overland  for  the  Pacific?  Coast.  He  had  many  friends,  and 
his  departure  was  deeply  regi-etted. 

As  si)ring  api^roached  it  was  evident  that  the  several  nuui- 
ufacturing  industries  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  were  about 
entering  \ipon  a  career  of  prosperity.  The  large  iron  works 
of  Messrs.  Scott  &  Morgan,  as  well  as  the  factories  of  R.  C. 
and  O.  H.  Rogers,  and  Captain  John  Rollins,  were  crowded 
w^ith  work,  and  the  flour  and  lumber  mills  were  prosjjerous. 

The  Hennepin  county  Tempei'-ance  League  was  organized 
in  March  with  Dr.  Goo.  H.  Keith,  president ;  Jared  S.  Dem- 
mon,  Geo.  W.  Chowen,  and  T.  L.  Curtis,  vice-presidents  ; 
Geo.  F.  Bradley,  secretary  ;  O.  M.  Laraway,  ti'easurer  ;  and 
H.  N.  Herrick,  W.  R.  Smith,  Geo.  H.  Rust,  J.  C.  Williams, 
and  A.  H.  Rose,  directors. 

At  the  town  election  held  April  Ist  S.  H.  Mattison,  J.  H. 
Jones,  and  F.  Beebe  were  elected  township  supervisors  ;  D. 
R.  Barber,  assessor  ;  Geo.  A.  Savory,  clerk  ;  R.  J.  Menden- 
hall,  treasurer  ;  J.  C.  Williams  and  John  Murray,  jr.,  justices; 
M.  Nodaker  and  Hiram  W.  Wagner,  constables  ;  with  Janu;s 
O.  Weld,  road-overseer  in  the  first  ward  ;  S.  H.  Mattison, 
second  ward  ;  E.  B.  Ames,  third  ward  ;  and  Martin  Layman, 
fourth   ward.     The  city  charter  of  MinneajK)lis  had  been 


1         J 

I 

mo 


PERSONAL  IlECOLLECTIONS 


i'i 


ii    il 


repealed  by  an  act  of  the  le<ji;iKlature.  This  was  done  by  a 
petition  of  the  citizens  in  the  interest  of  economy  ;  a  towai- 
ship  government  being  much  cheaper  ;  and  to  show  the  patri- 
otism of  that  period  I  will  mention  tliat  the  salary  of  the 
officers  were  only  one  dollar  j)er  day.  Even  the  services  of 
that  efficient  man,  D.  R.  Barber,  as  assessor,  were  only  com- 
ptuisalc'l  for  with  that  sum  per  day.  "With  the  prospect  of 
high  Txes  to  support  the  government  during  the  war,  the 
citizens  at  the  Falls  reduced  the  taxes  for  the  suj^port  of  their 
municipal  oi'ganization  to  the  lowest  possible  amount.  Always 
patriotic,  no  portion  of  the  Union  contributed  more  liberally 
to  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion. 

The  municij)al  officers  in  St.  Anthony  this  year  were  O.  C. 
Merriman,  mayor  ;  W.  W.  Wales,  city  clerk  ;  David  Edwards, 
assessor  ;  AVm.  Lashells,  supervisor  ;  E.  Lippeneott,  marshal. 

Dr.  K.  Spencer  became  a  dentist  at  the  Falls  this  spring. 
Caijtain  Tapj)er,  so  long  employed  at  the  ferry  and  the  sus- 
pension-bridge, moved  to  his  farm  in  Iowa.  Judge  William 
Lochran  resigned  his  trusts  and  went  to  the  war.  Dan  M. 
Demmon  was  selected  as  alderman  in  place  of  Wm.  Lochran. 
Wyman  Elliott  commenced  a  market  gfirden  on  a  large  scale. 

The  ladies  of  the  county  organized  a  Soldiers'  Aid  Society 
with  Mrs.  F.  II.  E.  Cornell,  president ;  Mrs.  Dorillus  Morri- 
son and  Miss  Nellie  Elliott,  vice-presidents  ;  Miss  Littie  Hob- 
lett,  secretary  ;  Mrs.  Harlow  A.  Gale,  treasurer  ;  and  Mrs. 
A.  D.  Foster,  Mrs.  Washington  Pierce,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Davis, 
Mrs.  Town,  Mrs.  Bissel,  Miss  L.  F.  Hawkins,  and  Miss  Lucy 
Morgan,  managers.  This  organization  accomi)lished  a  noble 
work  for  the  soldiers.  Mrs.  Foster,  the  head  of  the  board  of 
managers,  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  St.  Anthony,  hav- 
ing accompanied  her  husband,  Mi*.  A.  D.  Foster,  to  the  Falls 
in  1848.  She  was  a  worthy  contemporary  of  those  excellent 
pioneer  ladies,  Mrs.  R.  P.  Eussell,  Mrs.  Ard  Godfrey,  Mrs. 
Captain  John  Rollins,  and  Mrs.  A:ison  Northnip.  Both  Mrs. 
Foster  and  her  luisband  have  always  taken  an  interest  in  all 
that  woiild  benefit  the  communit}'. 

As  the  summer  ad\anced,  military  matters  became  lively. 
O.  C  Merriman,  Richard  Strout,  J.  C.  Whitney,  and  Geo.  A. 
Camp,  raised  companies  of  men  for  the  war.  A  little  lator 
Eugene  M.  Wilson  was  at  the  head  of  a  company  of  mounted 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


J]G1 


rangers.  W.  F.  Russell  had  Hecurod  n  c'()ini)any  of  sharp- 
shooters. In  the  meantime  Captain  Geo.  N.  Morgan  of  St. 
Anthony  had  been  promoted  to  the  colonelcy  of  the  brave  and 
far-famed  First  Minnesota,  C.  B.  Hetfclfinger  of  Minneaj)olis 
promoted  from  a  .'sergeant  to  a  Hrst  lieutenancy  in  the  same 
regiment,  William  AV.  Woodl)ury  to  a  ca[)taincy;  James  P. 
Howlett,  to  quartermaster  ;  Levi  Butler,  to  surgeon  ;  M.  K. 
Greely,  to  assistant-siirgeon  ;  and  several  other  promotions 
follo\v(>d  in  rapid  order. 

V.  H.  Kelly  of  Minneapolis  aided  in  securing  men  aiul 
material  for  the  army.  D.  Morrison,  AV.  D.  AVashburn,  (J. 
W.  Chowen,  G.  H.  Rust,  R.  J.  Baldwin,  H.  G.  Harrison,  S. 
AV.  Fandiam,  D.  B.  Dorman,  E.  AA'.  Cutter,  AVm.  Finch,  Paris 
Gibson,  am  Richard  Htrout,  were  a  conmiittee  apjjointed  by 
the  citizens  of  the  county  to  raise  numey  for  the  benefit  of 
the  families  of  those  noble  men  who  enlisted  at  this  ti'ue. 

Prof.  Geo.  B.  Stone,  who  had  accomplished  so  much  in  the 
publi  J  schools  at  Minneapolis  for  the  benefit  of  the  students, 
retired  from  the  superintendency  at  the  close  of  the  Se])tem- 
ber  term.     As  and  educator  he  had  no  su])erior. 

AA'hile  the  citizens  at  the  Falls  were  aiding  in  the  su])pres- 
sion  of  the  rebellion,  news  was  brought  through  the  big- 
woods  to  Governor  Ramsey  at  St.  Paul,  by  Ca})tain  Geo.  C. 
AAHiitcomb,  of  the  first  massacre  of  whites  by  the  Indians  in 
Meeker  comity.  This  news  was  received  on  the  li)th,  and 
almost  sinniltaneously  with  news  of  murders  a  day  later  at 
the  Redwood  Indiiiu  agency.  The  day  after  this,  August  20, 
Minneapolis  and  St.  Anthony  was  fiUed  with  refugees  from 
the  frontier.  It  is  unnecessary  to  say  that  the  doors  of  the 
citizens  were  thrown  open  to  those  fleeing  for  their  lives,  and 
every  possible  assistance  was  rendered.  Mi>antimo  every 
means  was  taken  to  check  the  the  overwhelming  disaster. 

Events  which  oc-cnrred  on  the  frontier  were  of  the  most 
painfully  absorbing  interest.     They  are  recorded  elsewhere. 


CHAPTER  XLVn. 


THE   SIOUX   MASSACRE   OF   EIGHTEEN   HUNDRED  AND  SIXTY-TWO. 


I  ■  -    i. 


I'    i 


'■■A! 


I  come  now  to  the  Sioux  Massacre  of  1862  ;  not  to  write 
a  history  of  its  moniontous  evonta  ;  but  to  present  a  brief  nar- 
ration of  some  of  the  incidents  that  made  such  a  painfully- 
vivid  impression  upon  the  frontier  settlers  of  the  Northwest ; 
presenting,  as  it  does,  an  exhibition  of  the  darkest  passions, 
and  the  perpetration  of  crimes  the  most  revolting  that  a  sav- 
age nature  can  conceive.  It  was  infamous  in  its  conception, 
fiendish  in  its  execution,  and  fearfully  disastrous  alike  to  whites 
and  Indians.  There  are  those  who  freely  express  their 
conviction  that  no  reference  to  the  immediate  precipitation 
of  that  massacre  can  be  complete,  correct  and  just,  that  does 
not  inchade,  among  the  other  numerous  causes,  the  statement 
that  the  leaders  engaged  in  it  thought  the  union  of  the  states 
would  be  destroyed,  and  that  then  was  their  opportunity  to 
repossess  the  lands  they  had  ceded  to  the  government.  The 
withdrawal  of  the  troops  from  the  frontier,  the  battles  disas- 
trous to  the  Union  arms,  the  seemingly  financial  embarrass- 
ment that  delayed  the  payment  of  their  annuities,  gave  plausi- 
bility to  those  ideas.  The  combined  result  was  the  massacre 
of  1862,  that  was  one  of  unparalleled  mutilation,  murder  and 
rapine. 

SOME   OF   THE  CAUSES   OF   THE   OUTBREAK  —NEAR   AND   REMOTE. 

The  Dakota  anniiity  tribes  in  Minnesota  at  the  time  of  the 
outbreak  were  the  Medawakontons,  Wapatons,  Sissetons,  and 
Wapakutas,  numbering  in  all  about  6,200  persons.  Their 
annuities  aggregated  about  $555,000.     These  tribes  were  con- 


OF   MINNKSOT.V    AND    ITS    IT.DrLE. 


363 


nected  with  wild  hands  scatU'red  over  a  lar^e  extent  of  coun- 
try, includinfij  Dakota  and  west  of  tlie  Missouri  to  the  Rocky 
mountains.  Th«'  government  lind  provided  a  civilization  fund 
to  be  taken  from  their  aniitiities  and  expended  in  improve- 
ments on  the  lands  of  such  of  them  as  should  abandou  their 
tribal  relations  and  adopt  the  mode  of  life  of  the  whites.  The 
wild,  blanket  Indians  denounced  the  measun-  as  a  fraud  upou 
their  rights. 

Major  Galbraith,  Sioux  Agent,  writes  :  The  radical,  moving 
cause  of  the  outbreak  is,  I  am  satistied,  the  ingrained  and 
fixed  hostility  of  the  savage  barbarian  to  reform  and  civiliza- 
tion. As  in  all  l)arbarou8  communities,  in  the  history  of  the 
world,  the  same  people  have,  for  the  most  part,  resisted  the 
encroachments  of  civilization  upon  their  ancient  customs  ;  so 
it  is  in  the  case  before  us.  Nor  does  it  matter  materially  in 
what  shape  civilization  makes  its  attack.  Hostile,  opposing 
forces  meet  in  conflict,  and  a  war  of  social  elements  is  the 
result — civilization  is  aggressive,  and  bp'-barism  8tubl)omly 
resistant.  Sometimes,  indeed,  civilization  has  achieved  a 
bloodless  victory,  but  generally-  it  has  been  otherwise." 

Whatever  the  cause  of  the  tragedy,  the  execution  was  the 
result  of  a  conspiracy  under  the  guise  of  a  "  Soldiers'  Lodge", 
and  matured  in  secret  Indian  councils.  In  all  these  secret 
movements  Little  Crow  was  the  moving  spirit. 

THE   SITUATION   AT  THE   CRITICAL   MOMENT. 

Now  the  opportune  moment  seemed  to  have  come.  Only 
thirty  soldiers  were  stationed  at  Fort  Ridgely.  Some  thirty 
were  all  that  Fort  Ripley  could  muster,  and  at  Fort  Aber- 
crombie  one  company  was  all  the  whites  could  depend  upon 
to  repel  any  attack  in  that  quarter.  The  whole  effective  force 
for  the  defense  of  the  entire  frontier,  from  Pembina  to  the 
Iowa  line,  did  not  exceed  two  hundred  men. 

It  is  in  evidence  that  Little  Crow  repeatedly  stated  in  the 
secret  councils  that  the  Indians  could  kill  all  the  white  men 
in  the  Minnesota  Valley,  and  get  all  their  lands  back,  as  well 
as  finally  receive  double  annuities. 

THE   FIRST  VICTIMS  OF   THE   SAVAGES. 

The  first  blow  fell  upon  the  town  of  Acton,  thirty-five  miles 
northeast  of  the  Lower  Sioux  Agency,  in  Meeker  county, 
on  Sunday,  August  17th,  1862,  at  1  o'clock  p.  m.,  where  six 


I'l; 


364 


PKltHONAI.    llEfOLLECTIOXH 


nil 


Iiulinus  of  SliHkopt'f'H  Imiul  killed  Air.  aiul  Mrn.  Jones,  Mr. 
BaktT,  Mr.  WobHti"*,  juul  Miss  WUhou,  and  then  tied.  This 
attack  HJH'niH  to  have  been  unauthori/.ed  and  premature,  for 
on  the  Hume  day  a  counHel  was  lield,  presided  over  by  Little 
Crow,  at  Rico  creek,  Kome  forty  miles  distant,  at  which  it 
was  decided  that  a  general  niEHHacre  of  the  whites  shoidd 
commence  the  next  morning.  The  final  decision  was  made 
about  sundown,  and  early  the  next  morning  the  entire  force 
of  warriors  of  the  Lower  tribes,  ])ainted  and  armed,  were 
scattered  over  a  regiim  forty  miles  in  extent,  ready  for  the 
slaughter.  There  were  some  two  hundred  and  fifi^  of  these 
at  the  Lower  Agency,  who  surrounded  the  houses  and  stores, 
before  some  of  the  inmates  were  awake.  The  blow  was 
entirely  unexpected.  The  traders  and  government  employes 
were  killed,  the  stores  plundered,  and  the  buildings  burned. 
Nathan  Myrick,  James  \V.  Lynd,  A.  J.  Myrick,  and  G.  W. 
DivoU  were  among  the  first  victims.  W.  H.  Forbes  and  G. 
H.  Spencer,  though  severely  wounded,  escaped. 

THE  INDIANS  Sl'AllE   NOT  THEIR   EARLIEST   AND  BEST   FRIENDS. 

Early  on  this  fatal  Monday  morning  Mr.  Prescott  and  Eev, 
J.  D.  Hinman  learned  from  Little  Crow  that  the  storm  of 
savage  wrath  was  gathering,  and  that  thtir  only  safety  was 
in  instant  flight.  Mrs.  Hinman  was,  fortunately,  at  Faribault 
The  white-haired  interpreter,  Philander  Prescott,  nearly  sev- 
enty years  of  age,  hastily  left  his  house  soon  after  his  meeting 
with  Little  Crow,  and  fled  toward  Fort  Ridgcly.  The  other 
members  of  his  family  remained  behind,  knowing  that  their 
relations  to  the  tribe  would  save  them.  Mr.  Prescott  had 
gone  several  miles  along  the  west  bank  of  the  Minnesota  river 
when  he  was  overtaken.  His  murderers  came  and  talked  with 
him.  He  reasoned  with  them,  saying  :  "  I  am  an  old  man  ;  1 
have  lived  with  you  now  forty-five  years,  almost  half  a  cen- 
tury. My  wife  and  children  are  among  you,  of  your  own 
blood  ;  I  have  never  done  you  any  harm,  and  have  been  your 
true  friend  in  all  your  troubles  ;  why  should  you  wish  to  kill 
me  ?"  Their  reply  was  :  "  We  would  save  your  life  if  we 
could,  but  the  white  man  must  die  ;  we  cannot  spare  your 
life  ;  our  orders  are  to  kill  all  white  men ;  we  cannotspare  you." 
It  is  said  upon  the  authority  of  the  Indians  that  he  was  shot 
while  talking  with  them  and  looking  calmly  into  their  eyes. 


OF  MINNEHOTA  AND  ITS  PKOrLE. 


866 


Mr.  Pn>H('ott  was  tlio  true,  triod,  nnd  faitliful  friond  of  the 
Indian,  and  had  hduired  long  in  their  interest.  His  benevo- 
lence to  the  red-men  kept  him  ever  poor.  Mr.  Hinman 
escaped  to  Fort  Hidgcly. 

The  nund)er  of  personH  who  reached  Fort  Ridgley  from  the 
Lower  Agency  was  forty-one.  Some  arrived  at  other  places 
of  safety.  Among  those  who  escaped  were  J.  C.  Whipple,  C. 
B,  Hewitt ;  and  J.  C.  Dickinson  and  family,  including  several 
girls,  who  kept  the  government  boarding-house.  Mr.  Hunter 
was  killed  on  the  way,  as  was  also  Dr.  P.  P.  Humphrey,  the 
physician  to  the  Lower  Sioux,  with  his  sick  wife  and  two 
children.  The  doctor's  eldest  boy  of  about  twelve  years 
escaped. 

At  the  R(Mlwood  river  ten  miles  above  the  Agency,  on  the 
road  to  Yellow  Medicine,  resided  Mr.  Joseph  B  ^^  aynolds,  in 
tlie  employment  of  the  government  as  a  teacher,  i  lis  house 
was  within  one  mile  of  Shakopce's  village.  His  fumily  con- 
sisted of  his  wife  and  niece — Miss  Mattie  "VViHian"'— Mary 
Anders(m  and  Mary  Schwandt,  hired  girls.  vV'^illinTn  Lund- 
meier,  a  hired  man,  and  Legrand  Davis,  a  young  nrnn  from 
8hakoxy(\',  vv'as  also  stopping  with  them  temi^oi-arily.  Mr. 
Patoile,  a  trader  from  Yellow  Medicine,  was  a  Iso  there,  on  his 
way  to  New  Ulm.  On  Monday  morning,  learning  of  their 
danger,  they  started  out  on  the  prairie,  and  when  nearly 
opposite  Fort  liidgely,  Petoile  and  Davis  were  killed.  Mary 
Schwandt  was  wounded,  and  died  soon  after.  Mary  Ander- 
son and  Miss  AVilliams  were  captured  unhurt. 

On  Sunday,  the  17th,  George  Gleason,  government  store- 
keeper at  the  Lower  Agency,  accompanied  the  family  of 
Agent  Galbraith  to  Yellow  Medicine,  and  on  Monday  after- 
noon, ignorant  of  the  terrible  tragedy  enacted  below,  started 
to  retiirn.  He  had  with  him  the  wife  and  two  children  of  Dr. 
J,  S.  Wakefield,  physician  to  the  Upper  Sioux.  On  the  way 
he  was  killed,  and  Mrs.  Wakefield  and  two  children  captured. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  18th,  the  settlers  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Minnesota  river,  adjoining  the  reservation,  were 
surprised  to  see  a  largo  number  of  Indians  in  their  immedi- 
ate neighborhood.  They  were  seen  soon  after  the  people 
arose,  simultaneously,  all  along  the  river  from  Birch  Coolie 
to  Beaver  Creek,  and  beyond,  on  the  west,  apparently  intent 


ill 


360 


PERHONAL  KECOLLKCTIOX« 


wm 


m  m 


on  fjnthoring  xip  tho  horses  and  cattle.  AVhon  interrogated, 
tliey  said  they  were  after  Chippewas.  At  about  6  or  7  o'clock 
they  suddenly  began  to  repair  to  the  various  hoiises  of  the 
settlers,  and  *hen  the  tiight  of  the  inhabitants  and  the  work 
t)f  death  began. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Beaver  Creek,  the  neighbors, 
to  the  nximbiH'  of  about  twenty-eight,  men,  women,  and 
children,  assembled  at  the  house  of  John  W.  Earle  and,  with 
s(n-eral  teams,  started  for  Fort  llidgely,  having  with  them  the 
sick  wife  of  S.  R.  Henderson,  her  children,  and  the  family  of 
N.  D.  White,  and  the  wife  and  two  children  of  Jas.  Carothers. 
There  were  also  David  Carothers  and  family,  Earle  and  fam- 
ily, Henderson,  and  n  German  named  Wedge,  besides  four 
sons  of  White  and  Earle  ;  the  rest  were  women  and  children. 
Tluiy  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  when  they  were  sur- 
rounded by  Indians.  When  asked,  by  some  of  the  party  who 
could  speak  their  language,  what  they  wanted,  the  Indians 
answered,  "  We  are  going  to  kill  you."  Wedge,  Mrs.  Hen- 
derson and  children,  Eugene  AVhite,  and  N.  D.  AVhite,  and 
Redner,  son  of  J.  W.  Earle,  were  killed.  The  other  men 
escaped,  and  the  women  and  children  were  captured. 

WHOLE   GERMAN  SETTLEMENTS  ANNIHILATED. 

Some  two  miles  above  the  neighborhood  of  Earle  and 
White  was  a  settlement  of  German  emigrants,  numbering 
some  forty  persons.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  18th  these 
had  assembled  at  the  house  of  John  Meyer.  Very  soon  after, 
some  fifty  Indians,  led  by  Shakopee,  appeared  in  sight.  The 
people  all  Hed,  except  Meyer  and  his  family,  goin;^;  into  the 
grass  and  bushes.  Peter  Bjorkman  ran  toward  his  own  house. 
Shakopee,  whom  he  knew,  saw  him,  and  exclaimed,  ■'  There  is 
Bjorkman  ;  kill  him  !"  b\it  keeping  the  building  between  him 
and  the  savages,  he  plunged  into  a  slough  and  concealed  him- 
self, even  removing  his  shirt,  fearing  it  might  reveal  his 
whereabouts  to  the  savages.  Here  he  lay  from  early  morn- 
ing until  ih'  darkness  of  night  enabled  him  to  leave  mos- 
quitoes swarming  upon  his  naked  person,  and  the  hot  sun 
scorching  him  to  the  bone.  The  Indians  immediately  attack,  d 
the  house  of  Meyer,  killing  his  wife  and  all  his  children. 
Seeing  his  family  butchered,  and  having  no  means  of  defense, 
Meyer  effected  his  escape,  and  reached  Fort  Ridgely.     In  the 


IL: 


'i  il 


OF    MINNESOTA  AND   ITS   PEOPLE. 


367 


meantime  the  affrighted  i)eople  had  got  together  again  at  the 
house  of  a  Mr.  Sitzon,  near  Bjorkman's  to  the  number  of 
about  thirty,  men,  women,  and  children.  In  the  aftei-noon 
the  navages  returned  to  the  house  of  Sitzon,  killing  every 
person  there  except  Mrs.  Eindetield  and  her  child.  From  his 
place  of  concealment  Mi*.  Bjorkman  witnessed  this  attack  and 
massacre  of  an  entire  neighborhood.  At  night  lie  escaped. 
On  the  way  he  overtook  a  woman  and  two  children,  one  an 
infant  of  six  months,  the  wife  and  children  of  John  Sateau, 
who  had  been  killed.  Taking  one  of  the  children  in  his  arms, 
these  companions  in  suffering  hurried  on  together.  Mrs.  S. 
was  nearly  naked,  and  without  shoes  or  stockings.  They 
finally  reached  the  Fort,  where  Mrs.  Sateau  found  two  sons, 
aged  ten  and  twelve  years,  who  had  reached  there  before  her. 

Near  Beaver  Creek  Patrick  Hayden,  John  Hayden,  Mr. 
Eisenrich,  Mr.  Eune,  Edward  Manger,  Patrick  Kelley,  and 
David  O'Connor  were  killed.  Four  miles  from  the  Lower 
Sioux  Agency,  on  the  Fort  road,  Thomas  Smith,  and  Mr. 
Sampson  and  two  children  were  killed.  Near  Birch  Coolie 
Peter  Pereau,  Andrew  Bahlke,  Henry  Keartner,  old  Mr. 
Closen,  Frederick  Closen,  Mr.  Pignur,  and  Mrs.  William  Vitt 
were  killed. 

A  tiourishing  German  settlement  had  sprung  up  twelve 
miles  below  Yellow  Medicine.  They  learned  of  their  danger 
on  the  eveniu'^  oi  the  18th,  and  the  whole  neighborhood,  with 
the  exception  of  one  family,  as.sembled  at  the  house  of  Paul 
Kitzman,  and  struck  out  on  the  prairie  toward  the  head  of 
Beaver  creek.  They  traveled  all  night,  and  in  the  morning 
changed  their  course  ttiward  Fort  Ridgely.  Tlu^y  continued 
in  this  direction  until  the  sun  was  some  two  hours  high,  when 
they  were  met  by  eight  Sioux  Indians,  who  told  them  that 
the  murders  were  committed  by  Chippewas,  and  that  they  had 
come  over  to  protect  them  and  punish  the  murdei'ers  ;  and 
thus  induced  them  to  turn  back  toward  their  homes.  One 
of  the  savages  spoke  English  well.  He  was  actpiainted  with 
some  of  the  company,  having  often  hunted  witli  Paul  Kitz- 
man. He  kissed  Kitzman,  telling  him  he  was  a  good  man  ; 
and  they  shook  hands  with  all  of  the  party.  The  simple- 
hearted  Germans  believed  them,  gave  them  food,  distributed 
money  among:  them  and,  gratefully  receiving  their  assurances 


III;  r 


3G8 


l'i;i;s()NAL    UHCOLLECTIUXS 


l!,l  1 


of  f  rieiulBliip  and  protection,  turned  back.  Wlion  near  their 
home  they  were  suddenly  surrounded  l)y  fourteen  Indians, 
who  instantly  fired  upon  them.  All  of  the  eleven  white  men 
were  killed.  Only  two  of  the  women  and  a  few  of  the  children 
escai)ed  death.  Over  forty  bodies  were  afterward.s  found  and 
buried  on  that  field  of  slaughter. 

BATTLE   AT   THE   LOWER    AdKNCV    FKltliV. 

On  Monday  moi'ning,  the  ISth  of  August,  lS(i2,  at  about  0 
o'cloi'k,  a  messenger  arrived  at  Fort  liidgely,  from  Ihe  Lower 
Sioux  Agency,  with  news  that  the  Indians  were  massacring 
the  whiles  at  that  place.  Captain  John  S.  Marsh,  of  Com- 
pany B,  Fifth  Ecgiment  Minnesota  Volunteers,  then  in  com- 
nuind,  took  a  detachment  of  forty-six  men  ( there  were  then 
in  the  Fort  only  seventy-five  or  eighty  men ),  and  aceomj)a- 
nied  by  luterpreterQinnn,  immediately  started  I'm-  the  agency, 
distant  twelve  miles.  They  made  a  very  rapid  march.  AVheu 
within  abinxt  four  mik's  of  the  ferry,  opposite  the  Agency, 
they  met  the  ferryman,  Mr,  Martelle,  who  informed  Captain 
Marsh  that  the  Indians  were  in  considerable  force,  and  were 
murdering  all  the  people,  and  advised  him  to  return.  He 
replied  that  he  was  there  to  protect  and  defend  the  frontier, 
and  he  should  do  so  if  it  was  in  his  power,  and  gave  the  order 
"  Forward  !"  Between  this  point  and  the  river  they  passed 
nine  dead  bodies  on  or  near  the  road.  Arriving  near  the 
ferry,  the  company  halted,  and  Corporal  Ezekiel  Rose  was 
sent  forward  to  examine  the  ferry,  and  see  if  it  was  all  right. 
The  captain  and  interpreter  were  mounted  on  mules,  the  men 
were  on  foot,  and  formed  in  two  I'anks  in  the  road,  near  the 
ferry-house,  a  few  rods  from  the  banks  of  the  river.  The 
corporal  had  taken  a  pail  with  him  to  the  river,  and  returned, 
reporting  the  ferry  all  right,  bringing  with  him  water  for  the 
exhausted  and  thirsty  men. 

In  the  meantime  an  Indian  had  made  his  appearance  on  the 
opposite  bank,  and  calling  to  Quinn,  urged  them  to  come 
across,  telling  him  all  was  right  on  that  side.  The  suspicions 
of  the  captain  were  at  once  aroused,  and  he  ordered  the  men 
to  remain  in  their  places,  until  he  could  ascertain  whether  the 
Indians  were  in  ambush  in  the  ravines  on  the  opposite  shori'. 
The  men  were  in  the  act  of  drinking,  when  the  savage  on  the 
opposite  side,  seeing  they  were  not  going  to  cross  at  once. 


OF   MINNESOTA  AND   ITS   PEOI'LE. 


869 


fired  his  L?iin,  as  a  signal,  when  instantly  there  arose  ont  of 
the  grass  and  brush,  all  aroiind  them,  some  four  or  five  hun- 
dred warriors,  who  jjoured  a  terrific  volley  upon  the  devoted 
band.  The  aged  interpreter  fell  from  his  mule,  piei'ced  by 
more  than  twenty  balls.  The  oai)tain's  mule  fell  dead,  but  he 
himself  sprang  to  the  ground  uidiarmed.  Several  of  the  men 
fell  at  this  first  fire.  The  testimony  of  the  survivors  of  this 
sanguinary  engagement  is,  that  their  brave  commander  was 
us  cool  and  collected  as  if  on  drc^ss  parade.  They  retreated 
down  the  stream  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  fighting  their  way 
inch  by  inch,  when  it  was  discovered  that  a  body  of  Indians, 
taking  advantage  of  a  bend  in  the  river,  had  gone  across  and 
gained  the  hinik  bi'low  them. 

The  heroic  little  band  was  already  reduced  to  about  half  its 
origmal  number.  To  cut  their  way  through  this  large  num- 
ber of  Indians  was  impossible.  Their  only  hoi)e  now  was  to 
cross  the  river  to  the  reservation,  as  there  appeaj-ed  to  be  no 
Induins  on  that  shore,  retreat  down  that  side  and  recross  to 
the  fort.  The  river  was  su])1)os(h1  to  be  fordable  where  they 
were  and,  accordingly.  Captain  Marsh  gave  the  order  to  cross. 
Taking  his  sword  in  one  hand  and  his  revolver  in  the  other, 
accompanied  by  his  men,  ho  waded  out  into  the  stream.  It 
was  very  soon  ascertained  that  they  must  swim,  when  those 
who  could  not  do  so  returned  to  the  shore  and  hid  in  the  grass 
as  best  they  could,  while  those  who  could  dropped  their  arms 
and  struck  out  for  the  opposite  side.  Among  these  latter  was 
Captain  Marsh.  When  near  the  opjiosite  shore  he  was  struck 
by  a  ball,  and  immediately  sank,  but  arose  again  to  the  siir- 
face,  and  grasped  the  shoulder  of  a  man  at  his  side,  but  the 
garment  gave  way  in  his  grasp,  and  he  again  sank,  this  time 
to  rise  no  more.  Thirteen  of  the  men  reached  the  bank  in 
safety,  and  returned  to  the  fort  that  iiiglit.  Those  who 
were  unable  to  cross  remained  in  the  grass  };nd  bushes  until 
night,  when  they  made  their  way  to  the  fort  cr  scltk'ments. 

These  are  only  a  few  of  th(>  incidents  of  this  terrible  mas- 
Bacre  near  the  Lower  Sioux  Agency.  The  horrible  details 
of  mutilation,  and  worse  crimes  than  murder,  are  here  unre- 
corded out  of  respect  for  blie  victims,  living  and  dead.  Turn 
we  now  to  tragedies  of  the  s^me  day  enacted  elsewhere. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 


EVENTS  AT  THE  UPPER  OR  YELLOW  MEDICINE  AGENCY. 

During  all  that  fatal  18th  of  August,  the  people  at  the  Upper 
Agency  pursued  their  usual  avocations.  As  night  approached, 
however,  an  unusual  gathering  of  Indians  was  observed  on  the 
hill  just  west  of  the  Agency,  and  between  it  and  the  house  of 
John  Other  Day.  Judge  Givens  and  Charles  Crawford,  then 
acting  as  interpreters  in  the  absence  of  Freniere,  went  out  to 
th^m,  and  sought  to  learn  why  they  were  there  in  council,  but 
could  get  no  satisfactory  reply.  Soon  after  this,  Other  Day 
came  to  them  with  the  news  of  the  outbreak  below,  as  did  also 
Joseph  Laframboise,  a  half-breed  Sioux.  The  families  there 
were  soon  all  gathered  together  in  the  warehouse  and  dwelling 
of  the  agent,  who  resiued  in  the  same  building,  and  with  the 
guns  they  had,  prepared  then^selves  as  best  they  could,  and 
awaited  the  attack,  determined  to  sell  their  lives  as  dearly  as 
possible.  There  were  gathered  here  sixty-two  persons,  men, 
women,  and  children. 

Other  Day,  and  several  other  Indians,  who  came  to  them, 
told  them  they  would  stand  by  them  to  the  last.  These  men 
visited  the  council  outside  several  times  during  the  night ; 
but  when  they  were  most  needed,  one  only,  the  noble  and 
heroic  Other  Driy,  remained  faithful.  All  the  others  disap- 
peared, one  after  another,  during  the  night. 

About  1  or  2  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Stewart  B.  Garvie, 
connected  with  the  traders'  store,  known  as  Myrick's,  came  to 
the  warehouse,  and  was  admitted,  badly  wounded,  a  charge  of 
buckshot  having  entered  his  bowels.  Garvie  was  staiiding  in 
the  doorway  of  his  store  when  he  was  fired  upon.     At  abou^ 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


371 


this  time  Joseph  Laf  ramboise  went  to  the  store  of  Daily  &. 
Pratt,  and  told  the  two  men  in  charge  there,  Duncan  E.  Ken- 
nedy and  J.  D.  Boardman,  to  flee  for  their  lives.  They  had 
not  gone  ten  rods  when  they  saw  in  the  path  before  them 
three  Indians.  They  stepped  down  from  the  path,  which  ran 
along  the  edge  of  a  rise  in  the  ground  of  some  feet,  and 
crouching  in  the  grass,  the  Indians  i)ass('d  within  eight  feet 
of  them.  Kennedy  escaped  to  Fort  Ridgely,  and  Boardman 
went  to  the  warehouse. 

WONDEllFUL   ESCAPE   OF   YOUNG   PATOILE. 

At  the  store  of  Wm.  H.  Forbes,  Constans,  book-keeper,  a 
native  of  France,  was  killed.  At  the  store  of  Patoile,  Peter 
Patoile,  a  nephew  of  the  proprieter,  was  shot  just  outside  the 
store,  the  ball  entering  at  the  back  and  coming  out  near  the 
nipple,  passing  through  his  lungs.  An  Indian  came  to  him 
after  he  fell,  turned  him  over,  and  saying,  "  He  is  dead,"  left 
him.  The  clerks  in  the  store  of  Louis  Roberts  had  effected 
their  escape.  When  the  Indians  becaine  absorbed  in  the 
work  of  plunder,  Patoile  crawled  off  into  the  bushes,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Yellow  Medicine,  and  secreted  himself.  Here 
he  remained  all  day.  After  dark  he  ascended  the  bluff  out  of 
the  Yellow  Medicine  bottom,  and  dragged  himself  a  mile  and 
a  half  further,  to  the  Minnesota,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Y'^ellow 
Medicine.  Wading  the  Minnesota,  he  entered  the  house  of 
Louis  Labelle,  on  the  opposite  side,  at  the  ford.  It  was 
deserted.  He  lay  down  upon  a  bed  and  slept  until  morning. 
Joseph  Laframboise,  Narces  Freniere,  and  an  Indian,  Maka- 
cago,  found  him  there  and  awoke  him,  telling  him  there  were 
hostile  Indians  about,  and  he  must  hide.  They  gave  him  a 
blanket  to  disguise  himself,  and  going  with  him  to  a  ravine, 
concealed  him  in  the  grass  and  left  him,  pi'omising  to  return 
as  soon  as  it  was  safe  to  do  so,  to  bring  him  food,  and  guide 
him  to  the  pi'airie.  He  lay  in  this  ravine  until  near  night, 
when  his  friends,  trixe  to  their  promise,  returned,  bringing 
hi  .  Dme  crackers,  tripe,  and  onions.  They  went  with  him 
some  distance  out  on  the  prairie,  and  enjoined  upon  him  not 
to  attempt  to  go  to  Fort  liidgely,  and  giving  him  the  best 
directions  that  they  could  as  to  the  course  he  should  take, 
shook  hands  with  him  and  left  him.  Their  names  should  be 
inscribed  upon  tablets  more  enduring  than  brass. 


Vi  ( . 


■  ( 
,'1 


372 


rKRSONAl,     HF.COM.KcriONS 


Ovov  an  unknown  region  wiiliout  an  inliabitfinl,  slccpinLr 
on  tlic  prairie  and  in  <lt'.s(M't('(l  luuiscs,  wounded,  without  food 
for  days  after  Ids  Hcanty  .su])])]y  was  exhausted,  youn,t(  Patoile 
wandei-ed,  traveling'  soin(>  two  Imndred  nnl<^s  in  twelv(>  days, 
when  he  came  to  some  white  men  wlio  had  returned  to  tlie 
homes  tliey  liad  deserted  to  look  after  their  crops  and  cattle. 
Ho  was  in  the  Saidv  Valley,  forty  nules  al)ovi>  St.  Cloud.  He 
was  taken  in  a  Wiig-on  by  these  men  to  St.  (Uoud.  His  wounds 
were  dressed,  Ins  recovery  was  ra])id,  and  he  etdisted  in  the 
Minut^sota  iNJountcd  Ranii^ers  and  served  in  the  campaign  of 
18()8,  against  the  Indians. 

OTIIKl!    DAY,  A    VI'l.I.-r.I-ODnF.l)    INDIAN,    SAVKS  A    I.AltGH    PAllTY. 

We  now  return  to  the  warehouse  at  Yellow  Medicine,  which 
we  lt>ft  to  follow  iho  strange  fortunes  of  young  Pal  oile.  Other 
Day  was  constantly  on  the  watch  outside,  and  re[)()rted  the 
progress  of  aifairs  to  tliose  within.  Toward  daylight  the  yells 
of  the  savagc^s  eanie  distinctly  to  their  oars  from  the  trading- 
post,  lialf  a  Jinle  disiant.  The  Indians  wore  absorbed  in  the 
work  of  ])lunder.  The  chances  of  escape  were  sadly  against 
the  whites,  yet  they  deci(l(Ml  to  make  the  attempt.  Other 
Day  knew  every  foot  of  the  country  o\er  Avhich  they  must 
pass,  and  would  be  thoir  guide. 

The  wagons  were  driven  to  the  door.  A  bod  was  ])lace(l  in 
one  of  them,  and  Garvio  was  laid  upon  it.  The  Avome]i  ])ro- 
vided  a  few  loaves  of  bread,  and  just  as  day  dawned,  they 
started  on  their  perilous  way.  How  thoir  hearts  did  befit  ! 
This  party  consisted  of  the  family  of  Major  Galbraith,  Avil'(> 
and  thn^o  children  ;  Nelson  Givens,  wife,  and  wife's  motluM-, 
and  three  children  ;  Noah  Sinks,  wife,  and  two  children  : 
Henry  Eschelle,  wife,  and  five  children  ;  John  Padden,  wife, 
and  thre(^  children  ;  Mr.  German  and  wife  ;  Frederick  Patoil(\ 
wife,  and  twt)  children  ;  Mrs.  Jane  K.  Miirch,  Miss  j\[ary 
Charles,  Miss  Lizzie  Sawyer,  Miss  Mary  D.-dy,  ]Miss  INIary 
Hays,  Mrs.  Eleanor  Warner,  Mrs.  John  Other  Day  and  one 
child,  Mrs.  Haurahan,  N.  A.  Miller,  Edward  C'ramsiiv  Z. 
Hawkins,  Oscar  Canfil  ;  Mr*.  Hill,  an  artist  from  St.  Paul  ; 
J.  D.  Boardman,  Parker  Pierce,  Dr.  J.  S.  Wakefield,  and 
sevtM'al  otlu'rs. 

They  crossed  the  Minnesota,  and  osca])ed  by  way  of  the 
Kandiyohi   lakes  and  Glencoe.     Garvie  died  and  was  buried 


OF    MINNESOTA   AND    US    J'1X)1'LE. 


37a 


on  tlio  way.  Major  flallji-aith  writos  :  "Led  by  (ho  noble 
Other  Day,  thoy  struck  out  on  th«)  naked  prairie,  literally 
placiu^' their  lives  in  this  faithful  creatures  hands,  and  guided 
by  him,  and  him  alone.  After  intense  sutferingand  jirivation, 
they  reached  Shakopee  on  I'l'iday  the  22d  of  August,  Other 
Day  never  leaving  theiu  for  an  instant  ;  and  this  Other  J)ay 
is  a,  ])ure,  full-ljlooded  Indian,  and  was,  not  long  since,  one  of 
the  \vild(>st  and  fiercest  of  his  race." 

(loviM'nment  gav<'  John  Other  Day  a  farm  in  Minnesota. 
H<'  died  several  years  sinc(\     His  wife  was  a  jmre  white. 

Early  in  the  cNcning  of  Monday,  two  civilized  Indians, 
Chaskada  and  Tankanxaceye,  went  to  the  house  of  Dr.  Wil- 
liamson, n  few  miles  above  th(>  Agency,  and  warned  them  of 
tliei)'  danger;  and  two  half-l)reeds,  Michael  and  Gabriel 
Uenville,  and  twoCluistian  Indians,  Paul  Maxacuta  Maui  and 
Simon  Anaga  ]Mani,  went  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Kiggs,  the  mis- 
sionary at  Ilazehvotul,  and  gave  them  warning  of  their  danger. 
There  were  at  this  i)lace,  at  that  time,  the  fanuly  of  liev.  S. 
Iv.  Iviggs,  Mr.  H.  D.  Cunningham  and  family,  Mr.  D.  ^^^ 
Moore  and  his  wife,  and  Jonas  Pettijohn  and  family.  Mr. 
Pc^ttijohn  and  wife  were  in  cliarge  of  the  government  school 
at  lied  Iron's  village,  and  were  now  at  M';.  lliggs'.  These 
friendly  Indians  went  with  them  to  an  island  in  the  Minne- 
sota, about  three  miles  from  the  mission.  Here  they  renuiined 
until  Tuesday  evening.  In  the  afternoon  of  Tuesday,  Andi-ew 
Hunter,  a  son-in-law  of  Dr.  AVilliamson,  came  to  him  with 
the  inforination  that  the  family  of  himself  mid  the  Doctor 
were  secrtied  below.  The  families  at  the  saw-mills  had  bi'en 
informed  by  the  Renvilles,  and  wei-e  with  the  party  of  Dr. 
Williamson.  At  night  they  formed  a  Junction  and  commenced 
their  ])erilous  journey.  A  thunder-storm  elfectually  o])litej- 
nted  their  tracks,  so  that  the  savages  could  not  follow  tlu'm, 
and  they  escaped.  On  the  way  they  were  joined  by  three 
Germans  who  had  escaped  from  Yellow  Medicine,  who  after- 
wards left  them,  with  a  yoiing  man  named  Gilligan,  and  were 
killed.     All  the  others,  reached  the  settlements  iniharmed. 

The  news  of  the  nuirders  below  reached  Leopokl  AVohler, 
three  miles  below  Yellow  Medicine,  on  Monday  afternoon. 
Taking  his  wife,  he  crossed  the  Minnesota  river,  to  the  house 
of  Major  Joseph  E.  Brown.     Major  Brown's  family  consisted 


T^ 


374 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS 


of  his  wife  and  nine  children  ;  Angus  Brown  and  wife  antt 
Charles  Blair,  a  son-in-law,  his  wife  and  two  children.  The 
Major  was  away  from  home.  Including  Wohler  and  his  wife 
there  were  then  at  their  house,  on  the  evening  of  the  18th  of 
August,  eighteen  persons.  They  started  early  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  lOtli  to  make  their  escape,  with  one  or  two  of  their 
neighbors,  Charles  Holmee,  a  single  man,  being  of  the  party. 
They  were  overtaken  near  Beaver  Creek  by  Indians,  and  all 
of  the  Browns,  Mr.  Blair  and  family,  and  Mrs.  Wohler,  were 
captured,  and  taken  at  once  to  Little  Crow's  village.  Messrs. 
Wohler  and  Holmes  escaped.  Major  Brown's  family  were  of 
mixed  Indian  blood.  This  fact  probably  accounts  for  their 
saving  the  life  of  Blair,  who  was  a  white  man.  Crow  told  him 
to  go  away,  as  his  young  men  were  going  to  kill  him  ;  and  he 
escaped,  being  out  five  days  and  nights  without  food.  The 
sufferings  he  endured  caused  his  death  soon  after. 

J.  H.  Ingalls,  a  Scotchman,  who  resided  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  his  wife,  were  killed,  and  their  four  children  cap- 
tured. Two  of  them,  young  girls,  of  twelve  and  fourteen 
years,  were  rescued  at  Camp  Release.  The  two  little  boys 
were  taken  away  by  Little  Crow,  and  their  fate  is  shrouded 
in  mystery.  A  Mr.  Frace,  residing  near  Brown's  place,  was 
also  killed,  and  his  wife  and  children  captured. 

At  the  town  of  Leavenworth,  on  the  Cottonwood,  in  Brown 
county,  the  family  of  Mr.  Blum  wei-e  all,  except  a  small  boy, 
killed  while  endeavoring  to  escajie.  On  Tuesday  morning, 
Philetus  Jackson  was  killed  while  on  the  way  to  town  with 
his  wife  and  son.  Mrs.  Jackson  and  the  young  man  escaped. 
Mr.  Henshaw  and  Mr.  Whiton  were  also  killed. 

Early  in  the  forenoon  of  Monday,  August  18th,  Indians 
appeared  in  large  numbers  at  the  town  of  Milford,  adjoining 
New  Ulm.  The  first  hoiise  visited  was  that  of  Wilson  Massi- 
post,  a  widower.  Mr.  Massipost  had  two  daughters,  intelli- 
gent and  accomplished.  These  the  savages  brutally  murdered. 
His  son,  a  young  man  of  twenty,  was  also  killed.  Mr.  Massi- 
post and  a  son  of  eight  years  escaped.  Mr.  Mesmer,  his  M'ife, 
son,  and  daughter,  were  instantly  shot.  At  the  house  of 
Agrenatz  Hanley  all  the  children  were  killed.  The  parents 
escaped.  Bastian  Mey,  wife,  and  two  children,  were  killed  in 
their  house,  and  three  children  terribly  mutilated  who  recov- 


OF    MINNESOTA   AND   ITS    I'EOl'LE. 


375 


ered.  Adolph  Shilling  and  his  daughtor  were  killed.  Two 
families,  those  of  Mr.  Zeller  and  Mr.  Zettle,  were  completely 
annihilated  :  not  one  left  to  tell  the  tale  of  their  sudden  des- 
truction.    Mr.  Brown,  and  son,  and  daughter,  wtu'e  killed. 

ONLY   A   GLIMl'SE   OF   THE   SITUATION. 

Thirty  thousand  j)anie-stricken  inhabitants  at  once  deserted 
their  homes,  and  were  destitute  of  the  necessaries  of  life. 
As  the  panic-stricken  fugitives  poured  along  the  various 
roads  leading  to  the  tow  ns  below,  on  Monday  night  and 
Tuesday,  indescribable  terror  seized  the  inhabitants  ;  and  the 
rapidly-accumulating  tide,  gathering  force  and  numbers  as  it 
moved  across  the  ])rairie,  rolled  an  overwhelming  flood  into 
the  towns  along  the  river.  As  no  wisdom  could  direct  it,  no 
force  resist  it,  so  no  pen  can  describe  it.  It  was  gloomy, 
chaotic,  terrific.  This  record,  incomplete,  inadequate,  seems 
insignificant,  when  we  consider  that  it  covers  but  a  small  por- 
tion of  the  territory  involved,  and  extcnids  over  scarcely  more 
than  two  days  time,  during  which  some  eight  hundred  whites 
were  foully  murdered,  and  a  largo  number  of  the  fairest 
women  and  girls  of  the  land,  bereft  of  their  kindred  and  pro- 
tectors, were  dragged  into  a  loathsome?  ca[)tivity  by  savages 
whose  crimes  would  make  murder  by  contrast  a  mercy. 

SOME   OF   THE   RESULTS  ACHIEVED. 

Of  the  prom])t  action  of  the  authorities  in  taking  measures 
for  the  protection  t)f  the  frontier,  and  the  heroic  conduct  of 
tho.-ie  engaged  therein,  I  will  not  here  write.  The  military 
history  of  the  Sioux  war  is  now  being  written  by  participants. 
Some  of  the  results  achieved  were,  the  release  of  all  the  white 
captives,  about  the  first  of  October,  18()2,  to  the  number  of 
about  one  hundred,  and  half-breeds  to  the  number  of  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty,  at  Camp  Release.  Our  forces  also  had 
about  two  thousand  Indian  prisoners.  A  military  commission 
recommended  some  three  hundx'edof  them  for  capital  punish- 
ment, biit  President  Lincoln  allowed  only  thirty-eight  to  be 
hung. 

GENERAL  SIBLEY's  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  CAPTIVES  AT  CAMP  RELEASE. 

"  I  entered  with  my  officers  to  the  center  of  the  circle  formed 
"  by  the  numerous  lodges,  and  seeing  the  old  savage  whom  I 
"  knew  personally  as  the  individual  with  stentorian  lungs,  who 
"  promulgated  the  orders  of  the  chiefs  and  head  men  to  the 


If* 


1  ;)■ 


{7(; 


I'EHHONAL  IIECOLLECTIONH 


'multitude,  I  boeknupcl  him  to  me  and,  in  a  i)erpni})l()ry  lonti, 
'ordered  him  to  ^o  tlii-ou,t,di  the  oim))  mid  notify  tlie  tenants 
'  tlint  I  (h'luaiidcd  all  the  fcmah^  captives  to  he  bi-ouj^ht  to  nie 
'  iiistant(>r.  And  now  was  in-esented  a  Hci'nc  whieh  no  one  who 
'witn(>ssed  it  ean  even-  fovfj^et.  From  the  lodges  there  issued 
'more  than  one  hundred  comely  yount?  j;ir1s  and  women,  most 
'of  wlioni  were  so  scantily  clad  as  scarcely  to  conceal  their 
'nakedness.  On  th(>  persons  of  som(>  hunn'only  u  sintj^le  tcar- 
■  nicnt,  while  piiying'  half-breeds  and  Indian  women  had  j)ro- 
'vided  others  with  scraps  of  clothini"-  from  their  own  litllc 
'wardrobes,  nnswerinuf,  indeed,  a  mere  temporary  i)urpose. 
'But  a  worsen  accoutered  or  more  distrenped^i-oupof  civilized 
'beinj^s  ima<^ination  would  fail  to  ])i('1nre.  Some  seemed 
'stolid,  as  if  theii-  nunds  had  been  sti'ained  to  madness  and 
'  reaction  had  brcmght  vacant  gloom,  indill'erence,  and  des])air. 
'  They  gazed  with  n  sad  stare.  Others  acted  dilVerently.  The 
'great  body  of  the  poor  creatures  rushed  wildly  to  the  spot 
'where  1  was  standing  with  my  brave  officers,  pressing  as 
'  close  to  ns  as  jxissible,  grasping  our  hands  and  clinging  to 
'our  limbs,  as  if  fearful  that  the  red  devils  might  j'et  reclaim 
'  their  vi<'tims.  I  did  all  I  could  to  reassure  tlieni,  by  telling 
'  them  th(\y  were  now  to  l)e  released  from  their  hoi'ril)le  suH'er- 
'  ings,  and  fr(>ed  from  their  bondage.  Many  were  hysterical. 
•  lK)rdering  on  convidsions,  laughter  and  teai's  comniiiigling, 
'incredulous  that  they  were  in  the  hands  of  their  j)reservers. 
'A  few  of  the  nioic  attractive  had  been  oiTered  the  alternative 
'of  becoming  tlie  temporary  ■wives  of  select  warriors  and  so, 
'  helpless  and  powerless,  yet  escaping  the  jjromiscnous  atten- 
'tions  of  a  horde  of  savages  bent  on  brutal  insult  revolting  to 
'conceive,  and  imj)Ossible  to  be  desci'ibed.  The  majority  of 
'  these  outraged  girls  and  young  wimien  were  of  a  superior 
'  class.  Some  wer(>  school  teachers  who,  accom])ained  by  their 
'girl  pupils,  had  g(me  to  pass  their  summer  vacation  with  rel- 
'atives  or  friends  in  the  bordin*  ccmnties  of  the  state.  The 
'settlers,  both  native  and  foreign  were,  for  the  most  part, 
'respectable,  pros[)ei'OUs,  and  educated  citizens  whose  wives 
'  and  daughters  had  been  afforded  the  privileges  of  a  good 
'  common  school  education.  Such  were  the  delicate  young 
'girls  and  women  who  had  been  snbjected  for  weeks  to  the 
'  iidiuman  embraces  of  hundreds  of  filthy  savages,  utterly 


i\ 


OF   MINN'E«OTA   AND    ITS   I'fOrLK. 


mi 


'tlovoid  of  nil  conipnsHidn  for  the  sutTrrorH.  Es('ortiii;j:  the 
'captives  to  the  oulsidt?  of  tlio  eninj).  they  were  i)laeeil  niHh'r 
the  ])i'()teetiou  of  the  troops  and  taken  to  our  own  eucanip- 
'meiit,  where  I  had  ordered  tents  to  he  pitched  for  theij- 
'  accomniodation.  Officers  nnd  men,  ntfecte(l  even  to  tears  by 
'  the  scene,  denudi-d  themselves  of  their  entire  nnderclothinur, 
'blankets,  coats,  and  whaievt'r  they  could  tcive.,  or  coidd  he 
'converted  into  raiment  i'or  these  heart-l)i-oken  and  abused 


•ti 


)f 


lust  nnd 


Th 


ily  white 


found 


nxnn 

"alive  when  we  reached  the  Indian  encampment  wns  George 
"  H.  Spencer,  who  was  saved  from  death  by  the  heroic  devo- 
"  tion  of  his  Indian  comrade,  but  yet  badly  wounded.  He 
"said  to  me,  'It  is  Clod's  mercy,  that  you  did  not  march  here 
"  on  the  night  after  the  battle.  A  plan  was  formed,  had  you 
"done  so,  to  murder  the  captives,  then  scatter  to  the  ])r;tiries,' 
".thus  verifying  my  ])rcdiction  of  the  course  they  would  pur- 
"sue.  I  blei^s  God  for  the  wisdom  he  gave  me,  and  wli(>reby, 
"with  the  aid  of  my  briive  men,  in  .spite  of  all  slander  and 
"  abuse,  I  was  enabled  to  win  a  A'ictory  .so  deei'iive,  and  redeem 
"from  their  lliiaMom  those  unfortunate  sufferers  who  were  a 
"bui-den  on  my  lieai't  froni  the  first  nu)ment  of  my  campaign." 

Some  two  thousand  Indians  wer»>  taki'U  from  the  state 
and  removed  far  from  tlu'  borders  (>f  ^Minnesota.  The  expe- 
dition of  18()3  against  the  scattered  bands  of  Sioux  that  still 
remained  on  tlie  borders  of  the  state,  or  were  still  further 
removed  inti>  Dakota,  gave  some  assurance  of  })rotection  and 
security  against  fnrthei'  disturbanct*  frmu  the  Sioux. 

On  the  Kith  of  Febi-iiary,  lS(i;!,  the  treaties  l)efore  that 
time  existing  between  the  United  States  and  these  annuity 
Indians  were  nbrogated  and  annulled,  and  all  lands  and  rights 
of  occupancy  within  the  State  of  Minnesota,  and  all  annuities 
and  claims  then  existing  in  favor  of  said  Indians,  Avere 
declared  forfeited  to  tlu>  United  States. 

DEATH   OF   LFl'TLE   CKOW'— KILLED    J5V    MU.    LAMFSON. 

On  Friday  evening,  July  3,  1803,  Mr.  liampson  and  his  son 
Chauncey,  while  traveling  along  the  road,  abcmt  six  miles 
north  of  Hutchinson,  discovered  two  Indians  in  a  prairie 
opening  in  the  woods,  interspersed  with  clumps  of  bushes  and 
vines  nnd  a  few  scattered  poplars,  picking  berries.  These 
two  Indians  were  Little  Crow  and  his  son  Wowinapa. 


r?rr 


378 


PEhHONAL  UECOLLEClKiNS 


STATEMKNT    JIV    TIIK    HON    OF    I.ITTM;    rilOW, 

"  I  am  tli(3  H(tii  of  Jjitllc  Crow.  My  uiiiiio  is  Wowinapa.  I 
am  Hixtccu  years  old.  My  fatlior  liud  two  wives  before  he 
took  my  mother  ;  the  tirnt  one  lind  one  Hon  ;  the  Recond  one 
Hon  and  daughter  ;  the  third  wife  was  my  mother.  After 
taking  my  mother  lie  put  away  the  tirHt  two.  Ho  had  Kevejj 
chililren  hy  my  mother  six  are  dead  ;  I  am  the  only  one 
living  now.  The  f(mrth  wife  had  four  children  born  ;  do  not 
know  whether  any  died  or  not ;  two  were  boys  and  two  were 
girls.  The  fifth  wife  had  live  children— three  of  them  are 
dead,  and  two  are  living.  The  sixth  wife  had  three  children  ; 
all  of  them  are  dead  ;  the  oldest  wa.s  a  boy,  the  other  two 
were  girls.     The  last  four  wives  were  si.sters. 

Father  went  to  St.  Josi'])h  last  spring.  When  we  were 
coming  back  he  said  he  could  not  tight  the  white  men,  but 
would  go  below  and  sti'al  horses  from  them,  and  give  them  to 
his  children,  so  that  they  could  be  comfortable,  and  then  he 
would  go  away  olF. 

Father  also  told  me  that  he  was  getting  old,  and  wanted  me 
to  go  with  him  to  carry  his  bundles.  He  left  his  wives  and 
his  other  children  behind.  There  were  sixteen  men  and  one 
squaw  in  the  party  that  went  below  with  us.  We  had  v 
horses,  but  walked  all  the  way  down  to  the  settlementh. 
Father  and  I  were  picking  red-berries,  near  Scattered  Lake, 
at  the  time  he  was  shot.  It  was  near  night.  He  was  hit  the 
first  time  in  the  side,  just  above  the  hip.  His  gun  and  mine 
were  lying  on  the  ground.  He  took  up  my  gun  and  fired  it 
fii'st,  and  then  fired  his  own.  He  was  shot  the  second  time 
when  he  was  firing  his  own  g\in.  The  ball  struck  the  stock 
of  his  gun,  and  then  hit  him  in  the  side,  near  the  shoulder. 
This  was  the  shot  that  killed  him.  He  told  me  tluit  he  was 
killed,  and  asked  me  for  water,  which  I  gave  him.  He  died 
immediately  after.  When  I  heard  the  first  shot  fired  I  laid 
down,  and  the  man  did  not  see  me  before  father  was  killed. 

A  short  time  before  father  was  killed  an  Indian  immed 
Hiuka,  who  married  the  daughter  of  my  father's  second  wife, 
came  to  liiui.  He  had  a  horse  with  him-  also  a  gray-colored 
coat  that  ho  had  taken  from  a  man  that  he  had  killed  to  the 
north  ot  where  father  was  killed.  He  gave  the  coat  to  father, 
telling  him  he  might  need  it  when  it  rained,  as  he  had  no 


OF   MINNF.HOTA    AND    IT«    I'FO!'t,K. 


370 


^•oat  with  liiiii.  Hiuku  8ui(l  ho  had  a  hornf  now,  and  waH 
gonig  back  tt)  tho  Indian  country. 

The  Indiaim  tliat  wunt  down  with  uh  aoparnted.  Eight  o£ 
thoni  and  th<'  wniaw  went  north  ;  tho  other  eight  went  further 
dj)wn.  I  have  not  seen  any  of  then;  Hince.  After  father  was 
killed  I  took  botli  guiib  and  tho  ammunition  and  atarted  to  go 
to  Devil's  Lake,  where  I  expected  to  tinil  some  of  my  friends. 
When  I  got  to  Beaver  creek  I  wiw  the  tracks  of  two  Indians, 
and  at  Standing  Bntl'alo'a  village  I  saw  where  theeight  Indians 
that  had  gone  north  hail  crossed. 

I  carried  both  guns  as  far  as  the  Sheyenue  river,  where  I 
saw  two  men.  I  asw  scared,  and  threw  my  gun  and  tho 
ammunition  down.  After  that  I  traveled  only  in  the  night ; 
and  as  I  had  no  ammunition  to  kill  anything  to  eat,  I  had  not 
strength  enough  to  travel  iask.  I  wont  on  until  I  arrived  near 
Devil's  Lake,  wlien  I  staid  in  one  place  three  days,  being  so 
weak  and  hungry  that  I  could  go  no  further.  I  had  picked  up 
a  cartridge  near  Big  Stone  Lake,  which  I  still  had  with  me,  and 
loaded  father's  gun  with  it,  cutting  the  ball  into  slugs.  With 
this  charge  I  shot  a  wolf,  ate  some  of  it,  which  gave  me  strength 
to  travel,  and  went  on  up  the  lake  until  the  day  I  was  captured, 
which  was  twenty-six  days  from  tbeday  my  father  was  killed." 

The  removal  of  the  Indians  from  the  borders  of  Minnesota, 
and  t  he  opening  up  for  settlement  of  over  a  million  of  acres 
•of  superior  land,  was  a  prospective  benefit  to  the  state  of 
immense  value,  both  in  its  domestic  quiet  and  its  rapid 
advancement  in  material  wealth. 

LETTER    FROM     GEN.   H.    H.   SIBLEY,  DATED    SEPT.    24TH,   1889. 

Col.  J.  H.  Stevens — My  dear  Sir  :  I  would  cheerfully  com- 
ply with  your  request,  to  furnish  you  with  an  account  of  the 
release  of  the  captives,  and  incidents  connected  therewith,  over 
my  own  signature,  but  unfortunately  I  cannot,  after  the  lapse 
of  so  many  years,  trust  my  memory  to  recall  the  details  of  that 
most  important  and  interesting  episode  in  our  history.  If  I 
can  find  the  article  I  furnished  years  ago  to  some  magazine  or 
newspaper,  and  to  which  you  refer,  I  will  send  it  to  you  with- 
out delay.  It  woiild  give  me  much  pleasure  to  contribute  to 
the  success  of  your  enterprise.  With  loving  regards  to  Mrs. 
Stevens,  believe  me  to  be  your  sincere  friend,  Henry  H.  Sibley. 


Wf 


!»!!: 


U 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 


The  autumn  of  18()2  was  dreary  to  citizens  of  Minneapolis 
and  St.  Anthony.  The  Indiaji  war  had  brought  sornnv  to 
many  households  in  the  two  cities.  Currency  was  so  scarce^ 
that  the  town  of  Minneapolis  issued  scrip  redeemable  in  bank 
notes  in  sums  not  less  than  five  dollars.  This  script  was 
signed  by  S,  H.  Mattison,  president,  and  Geo.  A.  Savory, 
secretary.  It  was  endorsed  by  E.  J.  Mendenhall,  treasurer, 
which  gave  it  a  good  standing  in  the  community.  Messrs. 
J.  E.  and  D.  C.  Bell,  Benj.  F.  Bull,  and  other  merchants, 
exchanged  tlieir  goods  for  the  script.  Most  of  the  teams  in 
the  two  cities  were  pressed  into  the  service  of  the  state  for  the 
Indian  war. 

Sidney  Smith,  a  resident  of  Minneapolis  since  1854,  and 
one  of  the  most  reliable,  respected  citizens,  became  interested 
in  the  freighting  business,  but  there  was  little  work  in  that 
line  this  fall  for  want  of  teams. 

The  fall  election  passed  off  very  quietly.  John  A.  Arm- 
strong was  elected  sheritf,  Harlow  A.  Gale,  auditor  ;  Geo.  W. 
Chowan,  register  of  deeds  ;  JohnB.  Gilfillan,  county  attorney; 
A.  Blakeman,  county  connnissioner  ;  and  F.  W.  Cook,  sur- 
veyor ;  A.  C.  Austin  and  R.  B.  McGrath,  members  of  the 
house.  R.  J.  Baldwin,  senator,  held  his  otiice  for  two  years, 
as  did  David  Heaton,  in  St.  Anthony. 

Rev.  D.  Cobb  became  pastor  of  the  Methodist  church  in 
Minneapolis,  this  fall. 

Anson  Northrup  and  Simon  P.  Snyder  raised  a  company 
of  men  to  defend  the  \inprotected  settlers  on  the  f j'ontier 
from  the  depredations  of  the  Indians  ;  while  Eugene  M. 
Wilson  had  no  diflSculty  in  organizing  a  company  of  mounted 


OF   MINNESOTA    AND   ITS   J'EOI'I.E. 


:]si 


rangers.  October  loth,  the  company  was  niusterod  into  the 
service  with  Mr.  AVilson,  captain  ;  E.  A.  Goodell,  first  lieu- 
tenant ;  and  James  x»I.  Paine,  second  lieutenant. 

Hon.  H.  E.  Mann,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Minneapolis, 
rec'  ived  the  appointment  of  clerk  of  U.  S.  c(mrt  at   St.  Paul. 

David  C.  Bell  was  married  this  fall  to  Miss  Lina  Conklin 
at  her  family  hoiiie  in  liichburg,  Alleghany  county,  New 
York.  The  couple  came  directly  to  Minneapolis  and  have 
resided  hert>  ever  since. 

AV.  AV.  McNair  of  MinneajKjlis  was  married  to  Miss  AVii.son, 
daughter  of  Edgar  AVilsoi;  of  A'irgiuia. 

Harrison's  block,  the  most  commodious  hcmsc  up  to  this 
time  in  Minnoa])olis,  was  eompltt  'd  in  October   of  this  year. 

The  State  Bank  of  Minnesota,  with  1\.  J.  Mendenhall  as  its 
president,  was  organized  in  Novemb<.  r. 

The  county  commissioners  follov  od  the  example  of  the 
town,  board  and  issued  scrip  for  a  circulating  medium. 

As  winter  approached  it  became  necessary  to  renew  efforts 
in  behalf  of  wounded  and  sick  soldiers.  The  soldiers'  aid 
society  was  reorganized,  with  Mrs.  D.  Morrison,  jjresident  ; 
Mrs.  Geo.  Vi.  Chowa.n  and  Mrs.  CTeor";e  Godley,  vice-presi- 
dents ;  Miss  Abby  Harmon,  treasurer  ;  Mrs.  E.  Harmon, 
secretary  ;  with  Miss  Nellie  Elliot,  Mrs.  Case,  and  Mrs.  H.  O. 
Hamlin,  managers.  This  organization,  like  the  previous  one, 
accomplished  n  good  work  i»  behalf  of  the  soldiers. 

November  19th  Thos.  S.  King,  recently  from  New  York, 
assumed  editorial  control  of  the  Atlas,  Mr.  King  wielded  an 
able  pen,  and  for  many  years  was  one  of  the  ablest  iiewspaper 
men  in  the  city. 

Late  in  November  D.  Morrison  &  Co.  opened  a  large  store 
in  Minneai)olis.  Messrs.  Mat.  Nothaker  and  Henry  Oswald 
also  successfully  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busniess. 

All  agricultural  products  ruled  low  in  prices  this  fall  ; 
wheat  was  only  Avert h  sixty  cents  per  bushel. 

Rev.  C.  C.  Salter  was  called  to  the  pastorship  of  the  Con- 
gregational church,  which  position  he  occupied  many  years* 
He  was  one  of  the  most  popular  pastors  of  the  city. 

The  Hennepin  county  medical  society  was  organized  in 
December.  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames  was  elected  president,  Dr.  R.  H. 
Ward,  secretary ;  and  Dr.  A.  E.  Johnson,  librarian. 


P 

J 


382 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS 


Dr.  J.  J.  Linn  became  a  resident  of  Minneapolis  in  1857,  and 
aided  in  the  organization  of  the  Hennepin  County  Medical 
Society  that  year.  He  was  influenced  in  coming  to  Minne- 
apolis by  his  nephew,  Hon.  E.  M.  Wilson.  He  has  been  and 
is  a  successful  physician. 

YOUNG  MEN  CONNECTED  WITH  THE  PRESS, 

The  Press  of  those  early  times  sent  out  several  young  men 
from  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  who  have  become  distinguished. 
Among  them  was  Hon.  Erastus  Timothy  Cressey.  He  was 
the  first  printer's  devil  in  the  old  St.  Anthony  Express  office, 
soon  after  that  paper  made  its  first  appearance.  Daniel  L. 
Paine  is  another  man  who  was  m  the  Express  office  in  1851, 
who  has  made  his  mark  in  the  world.  Joseph  A.  Wheelock, 
the  veteran  editor-in-chief  of  tho  Pioneer  Press,  was  never 
connected  with  the  newspapers  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony, 
but  he  was  a  pioneer  resident  of  the  county  as  early  as  the 
fall  of  1850.  From  several  letters  written  to  me  in  those 
early  days  it  is  easily  seen  that  he  wielded  a  powerful  pen. 
At  a  later  period  Colonel  Levine  P.  Plummer,  Willard  S. 
Whitemore,  Colonel  Charles  W.  Johnson,  and  Fred.  L.  Smith 
graduated  from  the  printing  offices  in  either  St.  Anthony  or 
Minneapolis.  They  attained  high  places  in  the  estimation  of 
the  community.  Colonel  Plummer  died  several  years  since. 
Colonel  Johnson  is  Secretary  of  the  United  States  Senate. 
C.  H.  Slocum  is  another  worthy  of  mentioii  in  this  connection. 
These  facts  are  additional  evidence  that  the  composing-room 
of  a  printing-office  turns  out  many  of  the  best  men  of  the 
country. 

THE   COUNTRY   WEST   OF   MINNEAPOLIS. 

In  the  fall  of  185(5 1  resided  with  my  family  on  my  farm  at 
Glencoe,  where  I  remained  for  seve  ;al  years,  and  was  inter- 
ested in  the  settlement  of  the  conn  cry  west  of  Minneapolis. 
After  my  farm  in  Minneapolis  had  been  laid  ofp  into  lots,  and 
covered  with  houses',  I  found  if  I  wcs  to  "  follow  the  plow"  it 
would  be  necessary  to  select  a  new  home.  In  doing  so  I 
experienced  the  pleasing  senation  of  pioneer  life  over  again. 
Carver,  the  intermediate  county  between  Hennepin  and  Mc- 
Leod  counties,  was  being  rapidly  settled  by  a  thrifty  people, 
many  of  them  from  Germany.  Several  villages  were  spring- 
ing up  along  the  line  of  the  road  from  Minneiipolis  to  Glencoe. 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


383 


The  first  settlers  in  C.  tiska  were  Jiulgew  Jacob  Ebinger,  T.  D. 
Smith,  Fred  Greiuer,  Fred  DuToit,  John  Lee,  E.  Ellsworth, 
G.  Krayenbuhl,  and  Thomas  B.  Hunt.  Carver  was  the  river 
depot  for  Glencoe.  Its  first  settlers  wei;e  Axel  Jorgenson  and 
John  Goodenough,  in  1852.  In  February,  1854,  Levi  H. 
Griffin  and  associates  pvirchased  Jorgenson's  claim  and  laid 
out  the  town.  Mr.  Griffin  was  a  printer,  and  previous  to  his 
location  in  Carver  had  been  to  California.  He  erected  a  large 
hotel,  and  was  energetic  in  building  up  the  town.  He  was 
followed  by  Stephen  Holmes,  Anton  Knoblaugh,  Walton  Bros., 
John  O.  Brunius,  Charles  Johnson,  A.  G.  Anderson,  Herman 
Muehlberg,  Enoch  Holmes,  Charles  Easier,  J.  8.  Letford,  J. 
W.  Hartwell,  C.  A.  Bloomquist,  W.  A.  Griffin,  J.  A.  Sargent, 
Dr.  E.  Bray,  and  other  enterprising  citizens. 

Young  America,  midway  between  Carver  and  Glencoe,  was 
a  beautiful  village  laid  out  in  the  "  deep  green  woods",  by 
Dr.  R.  M.  Kennedy  and  James  Slocum,  worthy  pioneers.  Dr. 
Kennedy  died  in  1802.  His  widow  became  the  wife  of  Enoch 
Holmes,  then  a  pioneer  merchant  of  Carver,  now  a  citizen  of 
Minneapolis. 

The  first  settlers  of  Glencoe,  Hutchinson,  and  McLeod 
county  generally,  were  pioneers  of  an  excellent  race  of  men. 
The  names  of  W.  S.  Chapman,  John  V*.  McKean,  Henry 
Little,  L.  G.  Simons,  A.  J.  Snyder,  C.  L.  Snyder,  B.  F.  Buck, 
James  Phillips,  John  Smith,  Lawrence  Gillick,  Henry  Elliott, 
Prentice  Chubb,  John  Folsom,  G.  K.  Gilbert,  A.  H.  Reed, 
Isaac  W.  Cummings,  James  B.  and  Thomas  McClary,  Brad- 
bury Richardson,  E.  W.  Richardson,  F.  B.  Dean,  A.  H. 
Rouse,  George  Harris,  J.  R.  Louden,  F.  W.  Hanscomb,  the 
Langley  Bros.,  Peter  Durfee,  C.  Chandler,  the  McDougal 
Bros.,  W.  W.  and  J.  H.  Getchell,  and  others  around  Glencoe  ; 
the  Hutchinsons,  R.  E.  Grimshaw,  Wm.  White,  Lewis  Har- 
rington, B.  E.  Messer,  W.  W.  Pendergast,  J.  H.  Chubb,  the 
Chesley  Bros.,  the  Pollock  Bros.,  with  others  at  Hutchinson 
and  Lake  Addie  ;  J.  S.  Noble,  A.  H.  and  C.  Jennison,  Daniel 
Nobles,  A.  S.  Nobles,  L.  Guard,  in  the  interior  of  the  county, 
and  E.  Lambert,  John  and  H.  C.  McClelland  farther  north, 
with  other  etjually  good  men  scattered  throughout  the  county, 
was  a  sure  guarantee  that  it  was  destined  to  be  one  of  the 
best  counties  in  the  state. 


*i| 


4 
I 


It 


m 


mjs 


PEKSONAL    RECOLLECTIONS 


KEPRESENTATIVE   MEN   AT   THE    FALLS   OF   ST.    ANTHONY. 

Among  tlie  most  persistent  men  at  the  Falls  of  Ht.  Anthony 
during  the  hard  times  of  the  late  fifties  and  early  sixties  were 
those  engaged  in  an  effort  to  make  Mimieapolis  and  8t.  Anthony 
the  head  of  navigation.  It  is  true  every  man,  woman  and  child 
at  the  Falls  fully  believed  in  the  wondrous  future  of  the  Twin 
Cities,  and  their  faith  therein  was  never  clouded  by  a  doubt ; 
but  Captain  John  Martin,  Captain  John  (\  Eeno,  Captain 
Edward  Mur])hy,  and  Captain  J.  B.  Gilbert,  and  some  others, 
thought  that  steamboats  would  greatly  assist  in  the  develop- 
ment of  their  greatness.  These  gentlemen  backed  their  belief 
by  investing  heavily  in  steamboats.  Captain  Martin  seldom 
faile(1  in  any  of  his  business  pursuits.  Excellent  judgment 
with  a  clear  head  were  his  chief  characteristics,  and  with 
promptness  and  integrity  he  has  led  a  successful  life. 

Another  gentleman  who  came  to  St.  Anthony  during  the 
financial  crisis,  in  1859,  is  Henry  F.  Brown.  During  the  so- 
called  hard  times  he  never  for  a  moment  became  discouraged. 
His  life  is  an  illustration  of  the  results  of  industry,  thrift  and 
energy.  Following  in  the  path  pursued  by  Col.  W.  S.  King, 
Mr.  Brown  earnestly  engaged  in  breeding  rich  strains  of 
thoroiighbred  stock,  and  like  Col.  King  l)ecame  a  public  bene- 
factor tt)  the  whole'northwest  by  the  introduction  of  a  superior 
quality  of  stock  among  the  farmers. 

Still  another  M'ho  came  to  Minneapolis  during  the  hard 
times  of  the  late  fifties  whose  life  has  been  a  marked  success 
financially  and  in  his  profession  is  Levi  M.  Stewart.  By 
strict  attention  to  the  profession  of  law  and  by  wise  investment 
he  has  attained  more  than  a  competency,  a  portion  of  which 
he  distributes  in  unostentatious  charity. 

No  one  has  b(H>n  more  loyal  to  <he  interests  of  Minneapolis 
than  Washington  Pierce.  He  came  here  in  a  very  early  day, 
and  has  for  many  years  been  intrusted  with  different  offices, 
which  he  has  filled  with  credit. 

John  Ludlun.,  a  brother-in-law  of  N.  E.  Stoddard,  a  pioneer 
of  the  early  fifties,  always  commanded  the  respect  of  the 
whole  comr.iunity.  His  home  is  near  where  he  first  settled 
when  he  came  to  the  territory.  It  is  seldom  even  in  this  com- 
paratively new  country  that  the  first  homesteads  remain  in 
the  same  family  more  than  one  generation,  in  many  instances 


MINNESOTA   AND    ITS   PEOPLE. 


383^ 


Ihfinl 

X'OSS 

By 

tnont 
[hicli 

3olis 
(lay, 
ices, 

liieer 
tlie 
hied 
[oiii- 
l\  ill 
ices 


only  a  few  years,  I  will  give  the  names  o£  a  few  of  the  many 
early  and  valuable  pioneers  in  this  section  whose  homesteads 
are  in  the  hands  of  strangers. 

REMOVED   FKOM   THEIR   OLD   HOMESTEADS. 

Lnther  Patch  came  to  St.  Anthony  in  184:7.  His  family 
consisted  of  four  boys  and  two  girls.  The  former  are  Edw'd, 
Wallace,  Lewis,  and  Gibson  S.  Patch  ;  the  latter  Mrs.  R.  P. 
Russell  and  Mrs.  J.  M.  Marshall.  Mrs.  Russell  is  the  only 
representative  of  the  family  left. 

The  late  Phineas  B.  Newton  settled  on  his  farm  in  Maple 
Grove  township  in  October,  1855.  He  and  his  family  were 
unusually  respected.  His  boys,  Wm.  I.,  Frank  H.,  Thos.  R., 
and  I.  C.  Newt(m,  were  of  much  promise.  Their  home  was  a 
pleasant  one,  but  the  old  farm  is  in  the  hands  of  strangers. 

Isaac  Hankinson  settled  in  Helen,  McLeod  county,  in  1856. 
He  was  an  industrious,  respected  citizen,  and  had  a  house  full 
of  children  who  were  esteemed  by  the  whole  community.  A 
good  sized  homestead  made  them  happy  and  prosperous. 
The  boys,  Thomas,  James,  Joseph,  and  John,  aided  their 
father  in  raising  large  crops  on  the  farm.  The  girls  married 
and  settled  in  the  neighborhood.  The  old  homestead  has 
passed  out  of  the  hands  of  the  family — not  a  representative 
left  on  it. 

In  the  very  early  days  at  the  Falls  no  one  wielded  greater 
influence  than  Pierre  Bottineau.  He  has  moved  a^\ay — has 
only  one  representative,  the  well-known  lawyer  John  B. 
Bottineau. 

Not  a  descendant  of  John  Jackins,  one  of  our  first  county 
commissioners,  is  left.  Mr.  Jackins  and  family  are  west  of 
the  Rocky  mountains.  Only  a  few  remain  of  the  descendants 
of  our  sect)nd  county  commissioner,  Washington  Getchell, 
who  went  to  Oregon  long  ago.  Levi  Longfellow,  a  respected 
citizen,  and  a  successful  Imsiness  uuni,  is  n  grandson  of  Mr. 
Getchell. 

Ralph  T.  Gray,  the  tirst  actual  resident  l)arbi'r  in  St. 
Anthony,  still  resides  in  Mii>ueapolis,  and  is  held  in  high 
esteem  by  the  jn'ojjle. 

John  Dxidloy  has  always  lived  on  the  east  side  of  the  river, 
but  his  extensive  mills  were  at  the  junction  of  the  St.  Croix 
with  the  Micsissippi. 


:ii: 


m 


PTTT 


384 


PERSONAL  RECOI/LECTIONS. 


CONCLUSION. 

With  the  close  of  1862  this  record  of  pioueer  events  ends.  In 
a  feeble  way,  inadequate  to  the  occasion,  I  have  performed  the 
duty  I  have  felt  that  I  owed  to  the  Pioneers  of  Minnesota,  and 
especially  to  Minneapolis,  by  willing  testimony  as  to  their  ster- 
ling worth  and  generous  deeds  They  worked  for  the  good  of 
those  who  were  to  follow  in  their  footsteps,  inherit  this  glorious 
land,  and  possess  the  institutions  founded  in  intelligence,  and 
fostered  with  care.  With  prophetic  eye  they  viewed  with  pride 
the  blessings  that  would  be  showered  upon  generations  that 
were  to  follow.  Only  a  few  of  them  were  permitted  to  reap 
great  personal  and  material  benefit  from  the  ripening  harvest 
that  follows  the  seeds  they  planted  ;  and  comparatively  few  of 
them  remain  to  clearly  see,  and  fully  comprehend,  what  has 
been  accomplished,  and  realize  the  glories  that  will  indefinitely 
increase  after  their  eyty  are  closed  in  eternal  sleep. 

While  to  a  limited  extent  this  record  is  historical,  it  lays  no 
claim  to  the  dignity  of  history.  It  would  be  presumptuous  in 
me  to  assume  the  importance  of  historian.  That  I  am  partial 
to  the  old  settlers,  is  as  natural  as  the  love  of  a  parent  for  his 
children,  or  the  affection  of  bi'others  and  sisters.  I ' ' mply  offer 
a  tribute  of  love  and  respect  to  my  old  associates,  which  I  know 
they  richly  merit.  The  record  is  by  no  means  complete.  In 
such  a  multitude  of  events,  many  as  worthy  or  more  worthy, 
with  the  most  careful  attention,  in  a  work  of  such  limited  scope, 
must  pass  unrecorded. 

With  regretful  eye,  sad  heart,  and  steps  willing  only  as  they 
performed  a  duty,  I  have  aided  in  placing  a  large  number  of 
whom  I  have  written,  in  the  silent  tomb.  The  open  grave  is 
familiar  to  me,  and  a  frequently-recurring  sight.  But  the 
limit  will  soon  be  reached.  May  fresh  eyes,  joyous  footsteps, 
and  loving  hearts,  ever  inherit  this  land.  I  dedicate  the  record 
contained  in  this  book  to  those  who  know  me  well,  and  I  feel 
sure  they  will  be  lenient  to  its  faijlts  if  they  experience  the 
pleasure  in  ri'ading  that  I  have  felt  in  writing  it.  It  is  also 
hoped  that  more  recent  dwellers  in  this  fair  land,  if  they  i)eruse 
these  pages,  will  find  some  interest  in  comparing  the  present 
with  the  past.  And  may  some  abler  pen  trace  their  good  deeds, 
with  as  good  intentions,  as  I  have  recorded  those  of  their 
immediate  predecessors. 


.b-jii«aHi^v> 


■  i 


CHAPTER  L. 


THE  LIFE   OF  A   MINNESOTA   MISSIONARY   HALF  A  CENTURY  AGO. 

Elsewhere  I  liave  written  of  Kev.  Gideon  H.  Pond,  one  of 
the  earliest  missionaries  to  the  Dakotas  in  Minnesota,  and  of 
his  appointments  to  preach  at  my  little  house  under  the  bluff, 
just  above  the  Falls.  And  now,  by  the  courtesy  of  his  nephew, 
S.  W.  Pond,  jr.,  of  Minneapolis,  I  am  enabled  to  present  a 
glimpse  of  his  life  here  at  an  earlier  day,  even  half  a  century 
ago.  The  views  are  given  by  himself  in  extracts  from  his 
journal,  commencing  in  1837.  To  me  it  is  the  life  of  a  noble, 
self-sacrificing  man,  devoted  to  an  almost  hopeless  mission  of 
mercy  to  the  heathen,  but  not  less  interesting  on  that  account. 

EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  PRIVATE  JOURNAL  OF  REV.  GIDEON  H.  POND. 

Lac-(iui-parle,  June  30,  1837.  -To-day  I  enter  upon  my 
twenty-eighth  year,  and  for  my  future  benefit  commit  to  writ- 
ing my  determination  to  endeavor  to  deny  myself  ungodliness 
and  follow  after  peace,  seeking  to  be  meek  and  lowly  in  mind 
and  to  exhibit  an  humble,  unassuming  character,  striving  at 
all  times  to  look  at  myself  in  the  glass  of  truth,  as  a  rebel  by 
natiire  against  the  government  of  the  blessed  God,  and  in 
myself  entirely  destitute  of  worth,  l)ut  yet  a  child  of  God 
through  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  not  my  own  and  as  hav- 
ing nothing  which  1  can  call  my  own  ;  that  I  will  endeavor  to 
improve  my  time  diligently,  renuMubering  that  it  is  slioi't  and 
precious,  and  that  I  can  do  nothing  without  exertions,  and  that 
I  will  most  assuredly  be  doing  wrong  unless  I  make  exertions 
to  do  right ;  that  I  will  endeavor  to  keep  an  account  of  the 
manner  in  which  I  spend  each  day,  and  strive  to  improve,  to- 
morrow, in  that  wherein  I  fail  to-day. 

As  all  before  me  is  dark,  so  that  I  can  plan  nothing  for  the 


BF 


380 


I'KUSONAL   llECOLLECTloNS 


future,  I  will  eiulonvor  to  live  Ly  faith  ^.nX  cnnt  all  my  care 
on  (lod  niul  Keek  His  special  giiidauce  continually,  through 
Jesus  (vhrist  :  and 

O  may  Ihc  hlesscd  God,  hy  His  spirit  through  Jesus  Christ, 
and  for  tlie  sake  of  His  own  glory  among  these  Indians,  hel[) 
a  poor,  weak  and  faithless  sinner  to  he  faithful  through  the 
year  nnd  till  death.     Amen. 

July  3.  Spent  from  eleven  until  half-past  one  looking 
over  with  Wamdiokie  some  simple  translations  I  made  Satur- 
day. (The  following  days  are  filled  with  lal^ors  in  fitting  up 
the  house,  and  improving  every  opportunity  for  learning  the 
Indian  language,  and  for  conversing  with  the  Indians  on 
religious  subjects.  | 

Fi-iday,  7th  Have  felt  disposed  to  be  a  little  impatient  with 
an  Indian  to-day  Seca-duta.  I  am  in  want  of  a  disi)osition 
to  compassionate  them  as  I  should.  May  Chi'ist  sit  in  my 
heart  as  a  refiner  and  jmritier  of  silver  until  his  own  image 
shines  bright  in  me. 

Thursday,  18th.  I  ought  to  feel  very  thankful  that  God 
has  given  me  the  opportunity  to  collect  two  or  three  words 
to-day.  I  feel  that  my  responsibilities  increase  with  every 
word  which  I  learn,  or  which  I  might  learn  and  do  not.  Will 
the  Lord  forgive  me  that  I  have  been  so  negligent,  and  sanc- 
tify my  heart  through  the  truth  by  giving  me  a  lively  faith 
through  Jesus  Christ  by  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that 
I  may  love  and  serve  Him  only,  and  be  faithful  Tinto  death. 

Friday,  l-lth.  Preparing  boards  for  tloor.  Though  lo  is, 
in  itself,  most  disagreeable,  trying  and  tedious,  yet  I  feel 
grateful  because  I  liave  been  fa\ored  with  the  com|)any  of 
Indians  ;  and  though  I  have  been  engaged  in  manual  labor, 
have,  I  hope,  been  able  to  learn  some. 

Monday,  17th. — Laying  floor  in  chamber  this  afternoon.  I 
commenced  an  attemjjt  to  translate  the  81st  Psalm  into  Dakota. 

Mon(hiy,  81st. — This  morning  wrote  a  letter  to  brother 
Samuel,  and  went  to  Mr.  R.'s  with  it.  Have  spent  most  of  the 
day  with  the  Indians.  Had  a  long  interview  w^th  A^'amdiokie, 
and  tried  to  tell  him  why  Christ  died,  aiid  why  it  is  necessary 
that  men  slu)uld  be  made  new,  in  the  temper  of  the  mind,  the 
danger  of  self-deception,  the  wickedness  of  forsaking  God,  and 
some  of  his  attributes.     A  miserable  "  guide  of  the  blind," 


wimi  , 


OF   MIXNKSOT.V    AND    IIS    I'KOI'I.K. 


387 


becnuso  my  own  eyes  jiiv  so  nciir  Klmt.  Lord  that  my  cyoH 
miiy  1)0  opened,  und  his  too,  tliat  wo  may  bo  ivnowoel  in  the 
spirit  of  our  minds. 

W('(biosday,  '2d.  Taoynteduta  [Little  Crow]  cnmc  hero  this 
afternoon  to  read.  I  luive  Komo  hope  that  ho  will  apply  him- 
self ;  if  so,  I  .shall  endeavor  to  assist  him  while  ho  stays. 

Saturday,  5th.  I  have  for  two  or  three  days  felt  more  than 
commonly  disposed  to  weep  on  behalf  of  the  Indians,  and 
especially  AVamiUokie.  They  are  blind  and  dead.  Lord  that 
their  eyes  may  be  opened. 

Fri(hiy,  11th.  'JMio  Indians  came  to  dance  to  us  to-day,  and 
we  considered  it  to  bo  our  duty  to  offend  them  grievously  by 
disr(>gardiug  them.     The  house,  however,  shook  to  their  praise. 

Monday,  14th.~  To-(hiy  we  have  had  a  new  exhibition  of 
the  gratitude  of  tlies(d  degraded  heathen  by  a  letter  from  the 
principal  chief  at  this  village,  writti'U  by  Wamdiokie,  rejjroach- 
ing  us,  not  in  anger,  but  with  savage  mildness,  because  we 
teach  that  wo  should  love  otIu>rs  as  our.solves,  and  do  not 
share  with  them  what  we  ourselves  possess.  May  I  have 
grace  to  count  the  reproaches  of  Christ  among  these  hefithen 
greater  riches  than  the  pleasant  society  of  Ne -v  Enghmd 
Christians,  and  give  them  no  occasitm   justly   to   rejjroach. 

This  afternoon  the  Indians  are  much  terrified,  supposing  a 
man  and  woman  will  come  here  who  have  had  tlie  snudli)ox. 

October  31,  Tuesday.  I  felt  disposed  to  invite  the  blessed 
Savior  to  the  marriage.  I  felt  an  earnest  longing  that  He 
should  rather  come  than  any  person  in  the  world.  O  may  the 
blessed  presence  be  with  us. 

Nov.  1,  1837.  — I  was  married  this  afternoon  at  3  o'clock,  to 
Miss  Sarali  Poage,  by  Rev.  Stephen  R.  Riggs.  The  guests 
were  the  niend)ers  of  the  Mission,  Mr.  Renville's  family,  and  a 
number  of  Indians,  and  I  trust  our  Savior  was  with  us  by  His 
spirit  in  our  hearts. 

Saturday  Minnie-apa-wiu  and  To-te-duta-win  were  exam- 
ined for  admission  to  the  church,  and  received  with  hesitation. 
Sarah  and  Catharine  were  baptised.  Perhaps  more  Indians 
have  attended  meeting  to-day  than  have  ever  attended  at  once. 
O  that  their  eyea  may  be  opened. 

Sunday  seven  made  a  profession  of  their  faith,  in  church, 
and  received  the  sacrament  of  the  Supper. 


388 


PKltSONAL    IlECOLLEfTIONS 


I  ^!-. 


Sixteenth.  All  tlie  week  Iuih  been  ns  Monday,  oxct'i)t  Uiat 
I  got  one  word,  and  do  not  yet  know  wliat  it  means. 

8nnday,  17th.  -  Dr.  Williamson  read  some  translations  he 
had  pi-epared  to  m\  women  and  a  few  children  in  the  morning'. 
In  the  afternoon  he  read  a  eermon  in  English.  We  went  to 
Mr.  Pl's  in  the  evening  to  sing.  Several  of  the  women  came 
together.  AVe  sang  three  or  four  Dakota  hymns.  I  sjmke  to 
them  a  little  of  God's  urging  us  to  seek  the  salvation  he  has 
made  ready,  and  which  is  waiting  for  us,  by  the  considera- 
ii(ms  of  heaven  and  hell.  The  meeting  was  closed  hy  a  short 
prayer  by  myself  in  Dakota.  The  Indians  have  planted,  I 
Buj)])ose,  about  thirty  acres  of  corn  at  this  village. 

July  lOth. -Spent  most  of  the  forenoon  in  reading  the 
translati(m  of  the  story  of  Joseph  by  my  brother,  which  Mr. 
Rigg's  brought  up,  with  him,  and  in  conversati<m  with  Wani- 
diokie,  who  says  he  believes  now  that  all  men  are  sinners, 
or  luive  hearts  inclined  to  evil,  though  he  did  not  believe  it, 
he  says,  "  when  you  first  told  me  so."  So  '^  was  better  able  to 
tell  him  why  Christ  died,  and  th-'^  necessity  of  believing  in 
him  in  order  to  be  at  peace  Mith  (Jod. 

Wednesday,  18th. — I  had  a  visit  this  afternoon  from  Wam- 
diokie,  who  had  much  to  say  about  our  labors  here,  other 
missions,  wars,  etc.  One  fact  worthy  of  particitlav  notice  he 
confessed  concerning  the  nation  of  the  Si(mx,  that  "  They 
are  wicked  exceedingly  ;"  to  xiae  his  own  expression,  "  W^liat 
God  loves  is  good,  and  men  are  conimand(>d  to  do,  they  have 
gathered  all  together,  hated  and  destroyed  ;  and  what  God 
hates  and  disallows,  they  have  gathered  all  together,  and  love 
and  do  that  only." 

Saturday,  2()th. — Dr.  W.  returned  to-day  from  his  visit  to 
Big  St<me  Lake  "with  Mons.  Nicollet. 

Twenty-sixth.  This  afternoon  I  had  some  conversation 
with  Kayan  Hotanka,  who  is  strongly  of  the  ojnnion  that  their 
religion  and  that  of  the  Bil)le  are  the  same,  and  that  he  has 
b'^en  a  Christian  twenty  years.  Deluded  man  !  Can  these 
dry  bones  livi'  ? 

AVednesday,  17th.  The  Indians  are  making  the  valley  ring 
with  their  yells  at  scalj)-dance,  but  I  lioi)e  their  time  is  now 
short,  as  they  will  bury  the  scalp  as  soon  as  the  leaves  are  all 
fallen  otf. 


OF    .MINNKSOTA    AM)    ITS    I'KorLE. 


389 


La('-(iui-])nrlo,  Fi'bnmry,  1H3!).— Heard  tliat  Cnnagi  wan 
left  thirty-tive  jnil(>s  northeast  of  here  to  die  of  hunger,  by 
her  mother.  A  few  days  later  heard  that  Intpa  left  his 
mother  and  aunt  ten  days  away  to  die  of  hunger  because  thi-y 
were  unable  to  walk. 

AT   LAKE   HAHUIKT  (NOW   IN    HENNEPIN   COUNTY)    IN   1830. 

July  1839.  Sioux  killed  sixty  Chippewas  at  Rum  river. 
Names  of  Indians  who  raised  corn  at  Lake  Calhoun,  and 
amounts  raised  by  each  :  Canpuha,  100  busliels  ;  Xarirota, 
50  bushels  ;  Hoxidan-sai)a,  501)ushels  ;  Ho-waxte,  20  bushels, 
Karboca,  240  bushels  ;  ()hi!i,-paduta,  440  bushels.  In  all, 
1,300  bushels. 

Sunday,  January  13th,  1840.  To-day  talked  myself  tired 
with  some  Indians  who  came  after  corn,  and  was  able  to  tell 
them  what  I  thought,  so  that  they  might,  if  they  would, 
understand  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved.  One  said,  as  they 
frecjuently  do,  that  if  the  Dakotas  could  hear  these  things 
they  would  think  of  them  ;"  another  said,  "  Nobody  would 
think  even  tlumgh  they  might  hear."  At  their  recjuest  we 
sung  two  or  three  hymns  in  their  language.  They  then  said, 
"  Now  if  yo\i  would  give  us  a  good  supper  then  we  should  like 
it."     They  are  sensual,  and  only  God  can  make  them  spiritual. 

In  1841  the  Indians  sell  their  land  for  8o5o,000. 

February  10,  1844. — The  ninth  coffin  I  have  made  since 
Octobei".  In  March  the  Indians  were  all  convinced  it  was 
April,  and  near  the  close  of  the  month  the  mercury  fell  to 
three  degrees  below  zero.  The  lowest  of  the  winter  was  ten 
below.     April  1st,  heard  that  an  Indian  i)erished  with  cold. 

In  1847  some  of  the  Indians  had  a  drunken  frolic,  and  one 
bit  olf  the  nose  of  another,  which  some  say  he  swallowed,  and 
others  that  they  found  it  near  the  house  the  next  day.  The 
son  of  the  one  who  lost  his  nose  shot  the  one  who  bit  it  off  in 
the  face  with  shot,  but  probably  did  not  hurt  him  very  much. 
I  am  acquainted  with  scmie  who  have  had  their  fingers  and 
thumbs  bitten  off  on  such  occasions.  Fine  sport,  but  it  some- 
times causes  unpleasant  feelings  among  them,  but  that  is 
more  than  overbalanced  by  affording  an  intei'esting  subject  of 
conversation. 

The  Indians  have  had  high  times  to-day.  1  am  more  and 
more  confirmed  in  the  oi)inion  that  as  a  general  thing  ihey 


890 


I'KHHONAL  llKr()LLK(  TIONS 


ait'  «'xtn'moly  glad  when  oiic  is  kilh'd  by  aii  cncniy.  A  great 
panuli)  in  always  iiuuh*  at  tlio  burial.  To-day  liau  been  pt'cu- 
liurly  intcn'Hting.  What  mado  it  highly  no,  tlu-y  killed  a  hwt 
weighing  Itetweeii  H(K)  and  IMM)  pounds,  and  have  eaten  most 
oF  it.  Ill  addition  to  beef  they  had  a  keg  of  whisky,  whi<"h 
would  greatly  enhance  the  interest  t)f  an  evi'ut  in  itself  inter- 
esting. Tlio.se  who  have  killed  an  enemy  were  permitted  t«> 
sit  together  and  one  by  one  relat(*  their  stories  and  have  it 
])ictnred  on  a  great  long  board  previously  procured  and 
j)iaiied  for  the  purpose.  This  afternoon  a  neighboring  Indian 
brouglit  a  keg  ttf  tlu>  stuff  to  our  village  and  invited  the  chief 
and  chief  soldier  to  drink.  The  invitation  was  refused,  which 
so  ai\gered  theju  them  that  now  about  sunset  they  are  about 
killing  Marpi-wicaxta,  and  are  running  about  the  village  and 
howling.  The  wonu'u  and  chihb'en  all  tied  and  hid.  I  con- 
clude no  on»'  was  killed,  as  they  are  all  (^uiet  and  no  coltin  is 
wanted. 

An  atfair  came  otf  this  afternoon,  not  a  very  uncommon 
occurrence  among  th«>  Indians.  Karboka's  daughter  gt)t  into 
a  (piarrel  with  her  little  brotlier,  and  as  her  father  could  not 
stop  her  witlnmt,  In^  whipped  her.  The  girl  l)eing  very  angry 
camo  over  to  the  hill  by  our  house,  where  the  dead  are  laid 
n|)on  a  scaffold,  to  bewail  her  misfortune.  Her  grandmother, 
hearing  her  froni  the  field  where  she  was  jncking  corn,  left 
her  work  and  can'  >  over  to  see  wliat  was  the  matter  with  her 
gnindiuiugliter.  L  '  «^  all  good  grannies,  on  hearing  fiom  the 
girl  that  her  father  In-  'inished  her,  she  became  enraged, 
and  in  revenge  hung  lierst  '  by  a  ])ortage  collar  to  the  scaf- 
fold on  which  the  corpses  i^  \  The  little  girl,  seeing  iier 
sympathetic  grandmother  in  such  a  })re(licanu^nt,  was  so  ter- 
rihinl  that  she  set  np  such  a  screaming  that  it  called  xis  out. 
It  was  in  sight  of  our  door.  Jane  was  first  on  the  ground  and 
had  the  old  wonum  loosed  befon  ^vo  arrived.  Even  with 
their  views  of  futurity,  the  old  'Aoniiu  acted  a  A'ery  foolish 
part,  for  when  one  hangs  herself,  r«  v  ])uuishment  for  the  act 
she  will  liave  to  drag  through  etein.Ity  that  wliich  they  hang 
themselves  to  and  be  driven  about  by  others.  Now  the  old 
woman  would  have  had  the  whole  Sicjdfold,  which  would  have 
made  her  a  severe  load.  She  is.  tile  same  woman  who  over- 
c.me  her  husband  a  short  time  ago. 


OF    MINNEOHTA   ANP    ITS    I'EOPLE. 


3<)l 


Another  man's  noRo  j^oiio  !  At  TiittU>  Crow'H  villnjifc  nftor 
tlu'y  had  dmnk  thcuisrlvc^H  to  the  '*ravo  ]>«iint  one  of  tlio  sons 
of  tlio  fliicf  bliowi'd  hiiust'lf  to  ho  n,  man  l\Y  biting  otf  tlu'  nost' 
of  anotlior  num.  It  is  thought  thHt  it  will  U'lul  to  niunh'r,  us 
tho  BuH'oror  luis  (h'cliircd  liimsrlf  rcjidy  to  di(>—  an  cxprvsHivo 
way  of  making  known  their  intention  to  revenge  an  injnrv  hy 
taking  life. 

May  I'Mh,  1850. — Lnr^t  week  the  Indiann  niuwed  their 
thrt>atH  against  those  whoaredisponed  tt)eonie  looiir  religiouH 
nieetingH  ;  the  fact  that  two  or  three  women  who  have  never 
before  attended  have  been  attracted  to  us  a  few  Sal)l)aths  of 
late  is  the  occasion  of  it.  The  great  men  appcnir  to  fear  that 
if  they  let  them  alone  all  tho  common  peojjle  will  go  away 
and  l)t>lieve  on  Jesiis.  It  is  reported  that  Red  Boy  said  that 
wliereas  tho  missionaries  were  getting  away  all  the  money, 
the  clothes  should  be  toi'n  from  all  who  canu'  to  our  meetings 
on  the  Sabbath. 

Nov.  4th,  IHoO.  Went  to  St.  Paul  with  a  manuscript  copy 
of  the  Dakota  F '  >  jiid,  and  put  it  into  the  hands  of  the  printer. 
It  has  been  with  great  reluctance  that  I  have  attemi)ted  the 
work  of  editing  this  little  paper.  It  has  been  laid  upon  nie 
by  tho  missionaries  under  God.  If  I  must  perform  this  ser- 
vice ;  if  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  I  should  ;  He  will  enable 
me  to  do  it ;  without  his  as.sistaTU'e  I  cannot  succeed.  Lord 
I  look  ^  thee  for  stre\igth  as  my  day  shall  l)e,  and  may  tliy 
rich  h^  ssing  attend  this  enterprise.  ()  give  wisdom  and  dis- 
cretion that  I  may  conduct  this  difficult  and  re.sponsib](>  work 
in  thy  fear  and  to  thy  glory.  What  am  I  that  I  should  per- 
form such  a  service. 

November  27th.  Started  early  for  St.  Paul  and  returned 
in  the  evening  fasting.  On  my  way  home  met  Gov.  Eamsey, 
who  kindly  invited  m(«  hereafter  in  my  visits  to  St.  Paul  to 
stop  at  his  hoiise  and  have  my  horse  put  in  his  stable.  Last 
week  I  fastened  a  bundle  of  hay  on  V)ehind  mo  for  the  poor 
beast,  which  had  to  stand  the  whoh^  day  and  wait  for  me. 
It  is  no  hardship  to  fast  myself.  It  was  with  great  anxiety 
that  I  waited  to  see  the  first  number  of  the  Dakota  Friend. 
It  made  a  more  creditable  appearance  than  was  antici})ated, 
and  yet  there  was  sufficient  in  it  to  mortify  me.  The  blun- 
ders of  the  compositor  added  to  my  own  inexperience. 


CHAPTER   LI. 


Tlie  Old  Settlers  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  and  Pioneers 
of  Hennepin  comity,  who  were  here  before  the  first  of  Janu- 
ary, 1853,  fo' med  an  Association  in  1867,  for  the  preservation 
of  a  rtH'ord  of  the  incidents  of  their  early  settlement,  and  for 
the  purpose  of  cherishing  and  perpetuating  the  friendships 
formed  in  pioneer  days.  The  articles  of  association  were 
sigiH'd  by  Isaac  Atwater,  Joseph  Canney,  William  Hanson, 
B.  B.  Meeker,  L.  N.  Parker,  J.  B.  Bassett,  K  P.  Eussell, 
Edwin  Heddcrly,  Samuel  Stnnchtield,  James  Hoffman,  James 
Sully,  Waterman  Stinson,  Alvin  Stone,  Isaac  E.  Lane,  Alonzo 
Learning  Sr.,  James  Shaver,  AVilliam  P.  Day.  James  A.  Len- 
non,  William  Dickie,  John  Wensinger,  Samuel  Stoiigh,  Cal- 
vin Church,  Charles  Hoag,  Allen  Harmon,  S.  W\  Case, 
Edward  Murphy,  Thomas  Chambers,  A.  E.  Ames,  John  H. 
Stevens,  A.  K.  Hartwell,  Anson  Northrup,  A.  1).  Foster,  W. 
A.  Eowell,  Emery  Worthingham,  Calvin  A.  Tuttlo,  W.  G. 
Moffett,  L.  W.  Stratton,  F.  C.  Coolbaugh,  J.  P.  S'.  iler,  Geo. 
E.  Huy,  Geo.  W.  Chowen,  Isaac  I.  I^ewis,  Pierre  Bottineau, 
John  B.  Bottineau,  and  Edgar  Folsom. 

At  the  first  banquet  about  two  Inmdred  signed  the  roll, 
giving  the  date  of  their  arrival.  At  this  nu'eting,  (twenty- 
two  years  ago)  Dr.  A.  E.  Ames  said  :  "  When  General  Grant 
"  i)aid  a  Ai>it  to  tliis  city,  not  long  since,  ho  rcnuirked  tliat  the 
"Falls  of  St.  Antliony  was  the  great  worksho})  of  the  North- 
"  west.  I  have  no  doubt  this  great  workshop,  in  a  few  years 
"will  contain  fifty  thousand  inhabitants,  and  there  are  some 
"  in  this  room  who  will  live  to  see  it  contain  one  hundred 
"  thousand  industrious  citizens." 


MINNESOTA    AND    I'J'S    I'KOPLE. 


893 


Jt>lin  H.  StevtMis  deliverod  the  first  aiimuil  address.  The 
second  nmuial  address  was  delivered  by  Isaac  Atwater  in  18(58. 
In  it  ho  said:  "It  is  given  to  but  few  in  a  lifetime  to  see 
"  what  has  been  revealed  to  lis  in  less  than  a  score  of  years. 
"  If  to  others  has  been  granted  the  reaping  of  the  full  harvest, 
"to  us  has  beeu  vouchsafed  the  first,  and  perhaps  noblest 
"duty,  of  sowing  the  seeds,  and  the  exceeding  ])]easure  of 
"watching  the  early  growth  and  increasing  luxuriance  of 
"  judicious  plantings." 

Referring  to  those  races  v,hich  preceded  the  old  settlers  in 
the  occupation  of  this  soil,  Judge  Atwater  related  an  incident : 
"  It  was  in  May,  1851.  The  day  was  warm  and  bright,  the 
grass  already  green  and  luxuriant,  and  nuiny  prairie  flowers 
in  bloom,  and  it  seemed  one  could  hardly  desire  a  more  lovely 
prospect,  from  the  bluifs  just  below  the  old  stone  mill  on  this 
side  of  the  river.  As  I  came  in  sight  of  the  falls  I  observed 
six  Dakota  warriors  standing  on  the  bank  gazing  intently  at 
thg  rapids.  Four  of  them  had  firearms,  and  two  bows  and 
arrows.  How  long  they  may  have  been  there  I  know  not,  but 
I  watched  them  for  more  than  an  hour,  scarcely  changing  their 
position,  but  ever  gazing  earnestly  oh  the  beautiful  cataract, 
and  also  doubtless  on  the  few  buildings  that  were  to  be  seen 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  I  then  passed  on  by  them,  and 
observed  that  one  of  their  number  was  evidently  very  old. 
I  again  passed  on  the  bluff  this  side  of  the  falls  and  watched 
them  an  half  hour  longer  until  they  started  slowly  down  the 
stream.  At  the  foot  of  the  bluff  near  where  is  now  the  lower 
end  of  the  canal,  they  turned  and  looked  upon  the  falls  some 
minutes,  and  again  still  longer  when  they  reached  the  top  of 
the  bluff,  and  then  slowly  turned  their  faces  toward  the  setting 
sun  and  departed.  More  of  them  I  do  not  know  ;  but  who 
can  doubt  but  that  tl?ey  were  taking  their  last  inexpres.sil)ly 
sad  farewell  of  their  lovely  and  loved  laughing  waters,  which 
they  saw  were  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  pale-faces.  That 
the  Indians  are  capable  of  appreciating  the  beauties  of  nature 
cannot  bo  doubted,  and  to  see  this  glorious  heritage  of  their 
fathers  slipping  from  their  grasp  l)y  a  stern,  irrevokable  fate, 
must  fill  their  breasts  with  poignant  anguisli." 

Of  one  of  the  old  settlers,  Pierre  Bottineau,  whose  lif(»  has 
l)e chaps  been  more  full  of  thrilling  adventure  and  nMuimtic 


39i 


I'EltSOXAI.   liFXOLLECTIONS 


interest  thnn  that  of  any  otlier  individnal  save  the  renowned 
Kit  Carson,  the  sj)eaker,  in  tlie  same  address,  said  :  "  Born 
"  half  a  centnry  since,  within  the  limits  of  Dakota  Territory, 
"  spending  his  whole  life  on  the  frontier,  speaking  with  fluency 
"  five  different  languagt's,  familiar  with  the  habits  and  customs 
"of  several  different  tribes  of  Indians,  renowned  as  a  guide, 
"  hunter  and  voyageiir,  intimately  accjuainted  with  the  whole 
"  vast  country  north  and  west  of  us  to  the  Eocky  mountains, 
"  and  cnce  the  owner  of  the  soil  where  a  portion  of  the  city  of 
"  St.  Anthony  now  stands,  his  life  affords  the  richest  material 
"  for  the  i)en  of  the  biographer,  and  merits  a  place  in  our  rec- 
"  ords,  and  even  a  widen*  i)ublicity  than  it  would  there  obtain." 

The  third  annual  address  was  delivered  by  Charles  Hoag, 
the  fourth  by  li.  M.  Johnson,  and  the  fifth  by  William  E. 
Marshall.  The  last  named  gentleman,  in  1871,  said  :  "  Almost 
a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  I  stood  on  the  banks  of  the  grand 
old  river,  and  in  hearing  of  the  great  falls.  On  a  beautiful 
September  day  I  followed  the  winding  trail  from  the  little 
French  settlement  that  clustered  around  Father  Galtiers' 
log  church  which  gave  the  name  of  St.  Paiil  to  the  the  present 
city — across  the  beautiful  prairie  and  over  the  wooded  hills, 
to  what  my  French  guide  called  San  Antoine.  And  when 
with  weary  feet  I  s'ood  at  last,  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day, 
on  the  brink  of  the  falls,  I  saw  them  in  all  their  beauty  and 
grandeur,  unmarred  by  the  hand  of  man — in  such  beauty  of 
nature  as  no  one  lias  seen  them  in  the  last  twenty-two  years. 

"  The  falls  were  tlien  almost  perpendicular;  that  of  the 
main  channel  many  lunidredfeet  lower  down  than  the  present 
falls.  Spirit  island,  now  almost  wasted  away,  was  then  a 
considerable  wood-crowned  island,  just  a  little  below  the  main 
falls.  Cataract  and  Nicollet  islands  were  deixsely  wooded. 
The  smooth  river  gliding  over  its  sloping  bed  of  limestone 
from  near  midway  of  the  upper  island,  plunged  over  the  bro- 
ken edge  of  its  rocky  bed  much  nearer  the  lower  end  of 
Cataract  island,  on  both  sides,  than  it  does  now. 

"  Save  the  old  govennnent  mill  on  the  west  side,  so  small 
as  to  be  half  hidden  among  the  rocks  and  trees  of  the  river 
bank,  there  was  only  the  habitation  that  belonged  to  it.  A  little 
further  back  there  was  oidy  a  state  of  nature  on  that  side. 

"On  this,  the  St.  Anthony  side  of  the  rivei,  there  was'an 


1 


OF  MINNESOTA  AND  ITS  TEOPLE. 


39') 


old  log  house  opposite  the  falls,  by  which  Mr.  Steele  held  his 
claim  to  the  lands,  with  a  little  field  of  corn  attached  covei"irig 
a  few  acres  of  the  plateau  where  Captain  Rollin's  house  and 
the  Tremont  house  now  stand.  A  log  house  was  then  heiiig 
built  under  the  hill  above  the  present  mill,  to  be  used  for  the 
men  who  were  soon  to  commence  work  putting  in  the  mill, 
dam.  These,  with  Pierre  Bottineau's  house  on  the  bank 
above  the  head  of  Nicollet  island,  Calvin  A.  Tuttle's  claim 
shanty  near  the  brook  this  side  of  the  State  University,  and 
two  or  three  Frencu  squatters'  cabins,  were  all  that  marked 
the  presence  of  man  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississip})i. 

As  the  light  of  the  fast  declining  sun  of  that  autumn  day 
bathed  the  tojjs  of  the  trees  and  the  summits  «)f  the  gentle 
hills,  and  aa  the  plunging,  seething,  deafening  falls  sent  up 
the  mist  and  set  its  rainbow  arching  the  same,  I  was  filled 
with  a  sense  of  the  beautiful,  and  somewhat  of  the  awe- 
inspiring,  in  nature,  such  as  I  have  rarely  since  experienced." 

ADDIJEKS   BY   liEV.    E.    D.    NEILL. 

In  1872,  Rev.  E.  D.  Neill  delivei-ed  the  sixth  annual  address, 
which  contained  :  "  Whenevtr  we  witness  growth,  we  desire 
to  know  something  of  what  was  in  the  beginning.  In  all  ages 
men  hiive  looke<l  back  with  reverence  to  vhe  origin  of  things, 
and  have  loved  to  compare  the  time  that  was  with  the  present 
hour-  the  then  with  the  now.  To  gratify  this  desire  the 
Hebrew  lawgiver,  Moses,  was  inspired  to  write  the  oj)ening 
sentences  of  the  earliest  historical  record,  which  the  old  Greek 
lawgivers  prcmounced  sul)lime. 

The  i)atriot  is  always  refreshed  by  tracing  the  successive 
stflgt>8  of  the  development  of  national  life  and  power  ;  and  so 
tl.e  dwellers  of  jjarticular  neighborhoods  are  strengthened  by 
i,  'iCing  together  and  remembering  the  days  of  old. 

"!n  this  new  city  of  the  upper  Mississipjn,  Neapolis,  as  the 
ncieut  Greeks  would  have  termed  it  in  their  beautiful  and 
11.  ,>.'l)le  language,  we  are  forcibly  reminded  of  growth.  It  is 
d.rficult  to  realize  that  a  busy  population  of  twenty  thousand 
jccupy  the  ground  that  so  many  of  us  ri'member  as  the  land 
of  the  Dakotas  and  an  uncultivated  prairie. 

Imlay,  a  British  subject,  visited  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi 
before  the  close  of  the  last  century,  while  Congress  held  its 
session  in  Philadelphia,  and  in  his  book  upon  the  Western 


sS' 


396 


PERSONAL    RKrOM,F,CTIONS 


Territory,  published  in  Londi)u  in  1707,  ho  wrote  that  he 
thought  it  was  rather  puerile  in  the  United  States  to  think  of 
making  their  seat  of  government  upon  the  Potomac  ;  and  at 
that  early  date  expressed  the  opinion  that  in  the  course  of  a 
century  the  vicinity  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  ought  to  be 
the  permanent  seat  of  government. 

I  can  but  feel  that  it  would  be  injurious  to  the  dignity  of 
the  American  citizens  ever  to  abandon  the  magniticeut  capitol 
at  Washington,  whose  lofty  dome  was  being  completed 
while  a  vast  army  of  insurgents  were  camped  on  adjacent 
hillsides,  and  whose  solidity  and  Bimi)le  adornments  are  typi- 
cal of  a  Republic  whose  President  is  elected  from  the  people  ; 
and  yet  when  I  witness  the  city  that  has  developed  at  the 
Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  within  the  last  ten  years,  and  consider 
the  population  that  must  follow  the  line  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  railw.  ''  •■  ^he  next  twenty-five  years,  I  am  inclined 
to  believe  tha.  Imlay's  prediction  may  prove  true,  ami 

that  before  A.  D.  i.  JO  the  center  of  population  of  the  Ameri- 
can Eepublic  may  be  in  the  Northwest,  and  perhaps,  as  the 
Hon.  W.  H.  Seward  said,  in  his  Minnesota  address,  '  The 
idtimato  seat  of  government  on  this  great  continent  will  be 
found  somewhere  not  very  far  from  the  nead  of  navigation  of 
the  Mississippi  river. 

On  the  15th  of  August,  1829,  Agent  Taliaferro  established 
an  Indian  agricultural  school  at  Lake  Calhoun,  which  he 
nanuid  Eatonville  after  the  Secretary  of  War,  whose  wife 
caused  so  much  disturbance  in  Washington  social  circles 
during  the  days  of  President  Jackson.  The  surgeon  of  the 
Fort  in  1829  was  a  young  man,  a  native  of  Ehode  Island,  Dr. 
R.  0.  Wood,  and  while  there  he  Aveut  down  to  the  garrison  at 
Prairie  du  Chien,  and  married  the  eldest  daughter  of  Zachary 
Taylor,  the  officer  in  command  at  that  post.  In  an  open  boat 
lie  returned  to  Fort  Snelling  with  his  youthful  bride.  How 
wonderful  the  changes  witnessed  by  that  family  in  forty  years ! 
The  father  of  the  bride  became  President  of  the  United  States 
and  lived  long  enough  to  see  the  clouds  of  rebellion  gathering 
in  the  Soiith,  and  to  abhor  the  plotters  for  disunion  ;  while 
Jefferson  Davis,  a  son-in-law  of  General  Taylor,  became  the 
President  of  the  so-called  confederate  states.  Dr.  Wood 
proved   true   to   the  government,    and   during  the  wnv  was 


OF   MINNESOTA  AND   ITS   TEOPLE. 


397 


assistnut  surgeon  genernl  of  the  Unitoci  States  army  ;  but  his 
sou  followed  the  South,  and  was  the  commander  of  that  noted 
rebel  privateer,  the  Tallahassee. 

Among  the  few  slaves  e>  er  brought  within  the  limits  of 
Minnesota  several  belonged  to  Major  Taliaferro.  Under  date 
of  the  26tb  of  May  of  the  same  year,  we  find  in  his  journal 
this  entry  :  '  Captain  Plympton  Avishes  to  purchase  my  servant 
girl.  I  informed  him  that  it  waa  my  intention  to  give  her 
freedom  after  a  limited  time,  but  that  Mrs.  Plympton  could 
keep  her  for  two  years,  or  perhaps  three. 

In  183G  Dred  Scott,  whose  name  has  become  historic,  came 
to  Fort  Snelling  with  his  master,  Surgeon  Emerson,  and  fell 
in  love  with  Taliaferro's  slave  girl,  Harriot,  and  in  due  time 
the  marriage  agreement  was  made  in  the  Major's  presence,  and 
was  duly  certified  by  him  as  a  justice  of  the  peace.  Two 
years  after  this  Mr.  Emerson  left  the  Fort,  taking  with  him 
Dred  Scott  and  his  wife,  and  while  descending  the  river  on 
the  steamboat  Gipsey  the  wife  gave  birth  to  her  first  born. 
The  decision  of  Chief  Justice  Taney  relative  to  the  right  of 
Dred  Scott  as  a  citizen  led,  as  we  all  know,  to  acrimonious 
discussions  between  the  friends  of  freedom  and  slavery,  and 
was  one  of  the  causes  that  led  to  the  fratricidal  war  which 
wiped  out  with  much  precious  blood  the  *  sable  spot'  upon  the 
escutchion  of  American  liberty,  to  which  Moore  in  one  of  his 
poems  tauntingly  alludes. 

The  earliest  marriages  in  Hennepin  county  were  declared 
in  accordance  with  the  forms  of  the  civil  law,  before  Lawrence 
Taliaferro,  as  justice  of  the  peace.  On  July  3,  1835,  Hippo- 
lite  Provost  was  married  to  Margai'et  Brunell,  and  on  the  29th 
of  the  same  month  a  Mr.  Godfrey  married  Sophia  Perry.  In 
February,  1836,  Charles  Musseau  was  married  to  Fanny,  the 
daughter  of  Abraham  Terry,  a  Swiss  emigrant  who  came  from 
the  Hudson  Bay  Territory  in  1827,  and  settled  at  first  between 
the  Fort  and  Minnehaha,  and  afterwards  when  the  military 
reservation  was  defined,  built  a  log  house  in  what  is  now  a 
suburb  of  St.  Paul.  On  September  12th,  1846,  at  the  house  of 
Oliver  Crattle,  near  the  Fort,  James  Wells,  who  subsequently 
was  a  member  of  the  territorial  legislature,  and  was  killed  in 
the  late  Sioux  massacre,  was  married  to  Jane,  daughter  of 
Duncan  Graham,  and  on  the  29th  of  November,  at  the  quar- 


Wr 


398 


PERSONAL  nECOLLECTlONS 


1^ : 
If 

;■£■  ■ 


ters  of  Cnptain  Barker,  Alpheus  R.  French,  llie  errly  saddler 
of  St.  Piiul,  was  married  to  Mary  Henry.  One  of  the  first 
ecclesiastical  ceremonies  in  the  county  took  place  at  I^ake 
Harriet  in  1831),  when  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gavin  was  married  to 
Miss  Stevens,  a  teacher  in  the  mission  school  at  that  point." 

ADDIIESS  BY  GIDEON  H.  POND.- 

In  1873  Gideon  H.  Pond  delivered  an  address  at  an  Old 
Settlers'  picnic  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Harriet,  in  which  vom- 
iniscent  discourse  he  dwelt  upon  his  pioneer  experience  of 
savage  life  in  what  is  now  Hennepin  county.  It  is  now,  1889. 
just  sixty  years  since  Major  Taliaferi  established  an  Indian 
agricultural  school  at  Lake  Calhoun.  This  great  northwest- 
ern territory,  with  its  rivers,  lakes,  and  plains,  stretching  out 
to  the  east,  west,  north,  and  south,  was  a  seemingly  "  intermin- 
"  able  extent  of  earth,  naked  and  empty  of  all  traces  of  civil- 
"ized  life,  (with  few  exceptions, )  the  abode  only  of  savage 
"  beasts,  wild  fowl,  and  saA'age,  pagan  man.  Little  clusters  of 
"smoky  wigv/ams  along  the  rivers  and  around  the  lakes,  con- 
"  tained  the  rude  inhabitanto  of  all  the  region." 

On  a  July  day  in  1839,  now  jiist  half  a  century  ago,  at  Lake 
Harriet,  Mr.  Pond  says  there  was  "  a  cluster  of  summer  huts, 
"  constructed  of  small  poles  and  barks  of  trees,  the  summer 
"  home  of  four  or  five  hundred  savage  souls,  surrounded  by 
"  their  gardens  of  corn  and  squashes.  It  was  an  Indian  vil- 
The  five  hundred  had  swarmed  out  into  and  around 

Men,  women  and  children  were 
"  all  engaged  in  hunting,  chopping,  fishing,  swimming,  play- 
"  ing,  singing,  yelling,  whooping,  and  wailing.  The  air  was 
"  full  of  all  sorts  of  savage  sounds,  frightful  tO  one  unaccus- 
"  tomed  to  them.  The  clamor  and  clatter  on  all  sides  made 
"me  feel  that  I  was  in  the  midst  of  barbarism.  And  I  was. 
"  Suddenly,  like  a  peal  of  thunder  M'hen  no  cloud  is  visible, 
"  here,  there,  everywhere,  awoke  the  startling  alarm  whoop, 
"  *  Hoo,  hoo,  hoo  !'  Blankets  were  thrown  in  the  air,  men, 
"  women  and  children  ran  they  ran  for  life.  Terror  sat  on 
"  every  face — mothers  grasped  their  little  ones.  All  around 
"was  crying,  wailing,  shrieking,  storming  and  scolding.  Men 
"  vowed  vengeance,  whooped  defiance,  and  dropped  bullets 
"into  their  gun-barrels.  The  excitement  was  intense  and 
"universah  The  Chippewas  !  The  Chippe was  have  surrounded 


"  lage, 

"  the  shores  of  the  lakes. 


OF   MINNESOTA   AND   ITS   TEOPLE. 


899 


/il- 


*'  UB — we  shall  all  be  bntchered  !  Rupacokamaza  is  killed  I 
"  Ah,  yes  !  just  across  there,  on  the  other  bank  of  Lake 
Harriet  -tliere  he  lies,  all  bloody,  the  soul  is  gone  from  the 
body,  escaping  through  that  bullet  hole,  the  scalp  is  torn  from 
the  head.  A  crowd  has  gathered,  and  every  heart  is  hot  with 
wrath.  Ah,  me  !  what  wailing !  what  imprecation  I  The 
dead  one  is  the  son-in-law  of  the  chief,  and  nephew  to  the 
medicine  man,  Redbird.  Every  warrior,  young  and  old,  utters 
his  determined  vow  of  vengeance  as  Redbird  stooi)8  to  press 
his  lips  on  the  yet  warm,  bleeding  corpse,  cursing  the  enemy 
in  the  name  of  the  gods.  Now  see  the  runners  scud  in  all 
directions.  In  an  hour  or  two  the  warriors  begin  to  arrive, 
painted,  moccasined,  victualed,  and  armed  for  the  war  path. 
Indian  warriors  are  all  minute  men.  Come  with  me  to  S'. 
Anthony  Falls.  Here  is  the  unspoiled  river,  rushing  unhin- 
dered down  his  rocky  bed  -naught  else.  We  will  stand  on 
the  rocky  bluff.  Now  come  the  avengers  of  blood  !  They 
come  from  Shakopee,  from  Eaglehead,  from  Goodroad,  from 
Badhail  and  from  Blackdog.  All  the  hot  afternoon  of  this 
July  day  they  cross  and  recross  their  canoes  over  the  bosom 
of  the  river  at  the  head  of  the  island.  The  sun  is  just  ready 
to  sink,  as  we  look  at  the  long  row  of  warriors,  seated  on  the 
east  bank.  That  tall  form,  dressed  not  much  unlike  Adam 
before  the  fall,  save  war  paint,  at  the  head  of  the  line,  is  Red- 
bird.  One  long  wail  goes  up  from  three  or  four  hundred 
savage  throats,  as  Redbird  utters  his  imprecatory  prayer  tt> 
the  gods.  He  presents  to  them  the  pipe  of  war,  and  it  goes 
down  the  ranks,  as  he  follows  it,  laying  his  hands  on  the  head 
of  each,  binding  him  by  all  that  is  sacred  in  human  relation- 
ships and  religion,  to  strike  for  the  gods,  and  for  Redbird. 
The  next  evening  the  dusky  runners  begin  to  arrive  at  Lake 
Calhoun  from  the  battle-ground  at  Rum  river,  where  Redbird 
is  killed,  his  son  is  killed,  a  dozen  other  Dakotas  are  killed, 
and  the  Cliippewasai-e  nearly  all  killed  !  Seventy  scalps  dangle 
from  the  poles  in  the  center  of  the  village,  close  by  the  tepee  of 
the  father-in-law  of  Philander  Prescott.  The  scalp-dance 
lastedfor  a  month.  It  seemcdas  if  hell  had  em|)tieditself  here. 
"Glorious  contrast!  Cities  now  stand  thick  along  your 
rivers,  Civilized  man  everywhere.  Schools,  academies,  col- 
leges, and  churches  fill  the  land.     Grace,  mercy  and  peace  !" 


400 


rEllSONAL    liKCOLLECTIONS 


h::  "'■ 


LETTER   OF  DR.  CHAS.  L.  ANDEJJHON,  WRITTEN  ON  SOLICITATION. 

OldSi'ttlers  :  Dear  Friends  :  AlmoHtlmlfHeeiituryagoIhegnu 
pioiieeriii<^,  find  I  have  l)een  a  settler  from  tlie  Allefj;liany  numn- 
tuins  to  the  Pacitie  Ocean,  taking  a  swath  of  latitude  nearly 
ten  degrees  wide.  After  helping  you,  in  my  humble  way,  to 
plant  the  Garden  of  Eden,  I  have  left  you  in  the  midst  thereof 
and  gone  out  of  Paradise  on  the  west  side,  following  the  river 
"that  went  out  of  Eden,"  up  the  brancli  Pison,  "which  com- 
passeth  the  whole  land  of  Havilah,  where  there  is  gold."  I 
have  followed  the  evening  star  to  the  orchards  of  the  Hesperi- 
des,  in  seai'ch  of  golden  apples,  and  have  found  none  !  Whilst 
you  who  have  remained  to  dress  the  garden  have  eaten  the 
fruit  and  become  wise.  May  the  curse  that  followed  Adam 
and  Eve  never  be  pronounced  against  you.  And  may  you  be 
the  recipients  of  that  promise  made  to  Abraham  and  the  faith- 
ful when  your  days  of  pioneering  are  over,  "  a  city  which  hath 
foundations  whose  maker  and  builder  is  God." 

But  you  do  not  all  remain.  Now  and  then  I  hear  of  some 
of  your  pioneer  bands  crossing  a  dark  valley,  leaving  tears  and 
sorrowings  behind.  We  do  not  hear  from  them  again,  but 
we  have  the  assurance  that  we  shall  see  them  when  we  reach 
the  beautiful  gate  that  bounci    the  Elysian  shore. 

Happy  Old  Settlers  !  it  would  delight  me  to  take  you  each 
one  by  the  hand  and  look  into  your  faces.  I  think  that  not- 
withstanding the  few  wrinkles  and  gray  hairs  gained  I  should 
be  able  to  read  a  bright  page  of  happiness  set  in  bold  type  and 
ornamented  by  these  blessed  signs  of  age.  So  long  as  our 
bodies  are  free  from  disease  we  should  be  thankful  and  happy, 
and  as  we  grow  old  strive  to  grow  better.  Should  affliction 
be  ours  there  is  a  consolation  that  trial  only  can  purify  and 
make  our  souls  beautiful.  Although  literally  speaking  I  have 
found  no  "golden  apples"  on  this  shore,  yet  I  feel  tolerably 
well  contented,  and  that  is  worth  something,  however  difficult 
it  may  be  to  estimate  its  value  in  gold  or  greenbacks. 

Some  of  my  friends  have  found  golden  bonanzas.  We  ought 
not  to  think  less  of  them  for  their  good  luck,  and  I  hope  we 
do  not  ;  but  bonanzas  are  not  the  best  things  to  be  found, 
especially  when  they  are  alloyed  with  much  base  metal,  which 
often  has  a  contaminating eifect  upon  the  finder.    Your  Friend, 

Santa  Cruz,  Cal.,  Jan.  22,  1876.  C.  L.  Anderson. 


BIOGR ArHICAL  MEMOEANDA~WITH  LETTERS  TO 
COLONEL    JOHN    H.    STEVENS. 


SELECTED  BY  MARSHALL  KOUJWSON. 


The  aiithor  of  the  foregoing  "  Personal  Recollections  of  Min- 
nesotfi  and  its  People"  would  Beeni  to  merit  n  more  extended 
personal  notice  than  appears  therein.  He  has  so  kindly  writ- 
ten of  many  persons  that  it  seems  appropriate  here  to  embody 
theii  views  in  relation  to  him  asexj^ressed  dnringan  intimate 
exchange  of  correspondence  from  tifty  years  ago  to  the  present. 
A  few  preliminary  facts  only  will  be  given. 

John  Harrington  Stevens  was  born  in  Lower  Canada  Jnne 
18th,  1H20.  He  is  the  second  son  of  Gardner  and  Deborah 
Stevens.  His  parents  were  natives  and  citizens  of  Vermont, 
and  their  ancestors  were  also  New  England  people,  many  of 
whom  occupied  ])ositious  in  the  councils  of  the  national  and 
state  governments.  The  mother  ot  Mr.  Stcnens  was  the  only 
daughter  of  Dr.  John  Harrington,  a  surgeon  in  the  war  for 
Inde])eii(lence,  who  died  iji  Brooktield,  Vermont,  in  1804  His 
grandfather  also  si'rved  throughout  the  Revolutionary  war. 
Gardner  Stevens,  his  father,  was  a  nuin  of  wealth  and  influence. 

In  very  early  manluK)d  Mr.  Stevens  went  to  Galena,  Illinois, 
where  he  lived  fen-  several  years.  He  then  entered  the  United 
States  military  service  in  the  war  with  Mexico,  serving  in  the 
Quartermaster'sdejiartment.  Leaving  MineralPoint,  October 
1840,  for  New  Orleans,  he  sailed  thence,  Novend)er  1st,  for 
Brazos  Santiago,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  and  pro- 
ceeded thence  to  Matamoras,  Mexico.  On  Christmas  morn- 
ing of  that  year  he  left  Matamoras,  with  General  Pillow's 
command,  for  Victoria  via  San  Fernando  in  tht  State  of  Tarn- 


402 


MF.MOItANDA    AND    I.I'.TTKHS. 


aulipns.  At  Victorin  li<^  md  Clciicnil  Zacliiiry  Taylor's  coin- 
niiiiid,  and  was  nciit  to  Taiiipico,  ami  t'roiii  tlicic  to  Loho.-, 
Inlaiul,  Vera  Criiz,  Piu'bla,  and  the  City  of  Mexico.  He  was 
present  at  the  battles  of  Contreras,  San  Antonia,  Churnhusco, 
Molino  del  Hey  and  C'lie))u1tepee.  After  the  occupation  of 
the  City  «»f  Mexico  he  was  sent  to  the  National  lirid^c,  in  the 
Htate  of  Vera  Cruz,  wlu're  he  remainiul  during  tlie  winter. 
His  retirement  from  the  army  is  indicated  by  tlie  following 
official  correspi  iidence  : 

RESI  ^NATION    TENDEli  ED. 

Ass't  Q.  M.  Office,  National  Bridge, 
Mexico,  May  1)],  18-tH. 
Colonel  George  R.  McClellan,  Commanding 

De{)artment,  Point  National,  Mexico  : 
Sir — In  ct)nse(pu'nce  of  being  afflicted  with  son?  eye.s,  I  am 
reluctantly  obliged  to  resign  my  office  in  the  (Quartermaster 
Deijaitnient  of  the  United  States  Army  ;  which  berth  it  will 
be  impossible  for  me  to  fill  in  consecpieuce  of  the  above- 
stated  reason. 

I  ho])e  yon  will  be  so  kind  as  to  accejjt  th(>  resignation,  which 
I  now  tender,  and  I  can  assiire  you  that  it  is  done  with  much 
regret  on  my  part.     With  great  resi)ect,  I  am,  Sii-, 

Your  obedient  servant,  John  H.  Stevens. 


HESIGNATION   ACCEPTED. 

Headquarters  Department  of  National  Bridge, 
Mexico,  May  14th,  1848. 
Your  resignation  is  accepted  on  the  grounds  given  by  you. 
The  j)robability  is  that  peace  will  soon  be  made  and  the  troops 
moved  out  of  Mexico. 

In  accepting  your  resignation  Ilinow  that  the  government  is 
about  to  lose  the  services  of  one  who  has  faithfully  discharged 
the  arduous  duties  of  his  stations  with  credit  to  himself  and 
the  entire  satisfaction  of  that  portion  of  the  army  that  it  has 
been  his  fortune  to  serve  with  in  the  tented  field. 

Geo.  K.  McClellan,  Colonel  Com'g  Post. 
Captain  John  H.  Stevens. 

National  Bridge,  Mexico,  May  30th,  1848. 
The  above  are  recorded  in  the  Colonel's  Register. 

Count  de  Larn,  Acting  Secretary. 


MKMOltANDA  AND   LETTFIIH. 


403 


Qunrtcrmustcr's  Dopartmoiit,  AssistMiit  Office, 

ViU'iiUi  Niitioiml,  Mexico,  May  30tli,  181H. 

My  Dear  Sir  :  You  will  leave  this  evi'iiing  in  cluirge  of  the 
train  for  Vera  Cru/,  niul  will  bo  constantly  on  the  alert,  being 
suro  to  enforce  good  order  with  tlio  escort  and  gxiard  against 
any  attack  that  nuiy  In;  made  by  the  enemy. 

On  your  arrival  at  Ve.a  Cru/  you  will  immediately  embark 
(m  n  govornnu'ut  ti-ansport  vessel  for  New  Orleans,  at  which 
place,  by  yonr  own  rocjuest,  you  will  be  mustered  out  of  service. 

The  de[)artmeiit  cannot  allow  you  to  i-etiro  to  i)rivate  life 
without  expressing  deep  and  sinc(>re  thanks  for  tlie  valuable 
services  you  have  rendered  to  it  for  the  last  two  years.  You 
justly  merit  the  approbation  of  your  brother  officers  and  of 
every  soldier  in  tho  American  army,  and  it  affords  mo  much 
satisfaction  to  sny  that  the  whole  command  si'cs  you  retire 
with  sorrow  and  regret,  all  hoping  that  you  will  have  a  happy 
and  prosperous  jouiney  home,  and  that  you  may  hereafter 
enjoy  the  soci(>ty  of  your  friends  in  that  degree  of  happiness 
which  exalted  worth  always  surrounds  tho  honest  and  noble 
of  mankind.        Sa.m' r.  G.  McClkllax,  A.  Q.  M.  and  A.  A.  C.  S. 

To.  John  H.  Stev(-ns,  U.  K.  C.  Q.  M.  and  P.  Master. 

On  the  1th  day  of  May,  1S50,  Colonel  Stevens  was  married 
at  llockford,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Frances  Helen  Miller,  daiighter 
of  Abner  Miller,  of  Westmoreland,  Oinnda  county,  New  Y'ork. 
Mrs.  Stevens'  parents  were  from  New  England,  of  Puritan 
ancestors.  Her  mother,  before  marriage,  was  Sallie  layman, 
of  tho  Lyman  Beecher  branch.  Her  grandfather  and  the 
grandmother  of  Henry  Ward  Beecher  w(>re  brother  and  sister. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens  have  had  six  childivn.  Mary  Elizabeth, 
the  first  white  child  born  in  Minneapolis,  died  in  her  seven- 
teenth year.  Catharine  Duane,  their  second  child,  is  the  wife 
of  Philip  B.  Winston,  a  native  of  Virginia,  now  a  wealthy  and 
prominent  citizen  of  Minneapolis.  Sarah,  the  third  chikh 
died  when  a  yoiing  lady.  Gardner,  their  only  son  and  fourth 
child,  is  a  citizen  of  Minneapolis.  Orma,  the  fifth  child,  is  thv* 
wife  of  W.  L.  Peck  of  Minneapolis,  a  railroad  contractor  w.'i! 
AVinston  Brothers.  Frances  Helen,  the  youngest  daiighter, 
is  at  home  in  Minneapolis.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens  have 
niimerous  relatives  in  Minnesota,  and  relations  in  other  states 
occupying  positions  of  prominence. 


404 


MEMOUANDA   AM)    LKIPEHS. 


Colonel  StovcnH  wns  n  moinbor  of  tlio  firHt  Minnesota  lioiiso 
of  reprcHentutives,  of  the  second  Htntc  senate,  of  the  fourth 
legislature,  and  of  the  lej^islatiire  of  1H7(5.  He  has  been  hritr- 
adier-^enend  of  the  state  militia,  and  held  many  other  civil 
and  military  otHces,  as  will  appear  by  extracts  tjiven  from  let- 
ters of  his  correspondents.  Lettei's  received  by  him  for  nearly 
half  a  century  havt*  been  preserved  almost  entire,  and  nund)er 
thousands.  Many  of  them  are  of  the  most  contidential  char- 
acter. Extracts  from  such  only  as  mi^ht  seem  to  be  j^iven 
with  i)ropriety  are  here  presented  as  interesting  reinini.scences 
of  the  tinu's  in  which  they  were  written,  and  as  illustrative  of 
the  estimation  in  which  (!olonel  Stevens  was  held  : 

LKPTEU    FKOM    HOllACE   OHEELEY. 

Office  of  the  Trilmne,  New  York,  August  If),  18«)3. 

My  Dear  Sir  :  It  is  now  some  two  years  and  a  half  since  I 
accepted  an  invitation  to  visit  Minnesota  and  si^eak  to  her 
farmers  at  her  Stat(>  Agricultural  Fair  an  invitation  which 
gave  me  pleasure  in  the  reception,  and  still  more  in  the  antic- 
ijjation  of  its  fulfillment.  I  am  still  anxious  that  my  life  and 
the  patience  of  my  friends  in  Minnesota  may  both  hold  out 
until  I  can  be  permitted  to  fulfill  that  enfj;agement. 

But  those  I  ( with  all  respect  to  others )  most  wish  to  meet 
when  I  shall  visit  your  state  are  to-day  in  the  National  armies, 
braving  exposure,  fatigue,  privation  and  death  for  the  life  of 
their  country.  I  begin  to  grow  old.  I  shall  j)robably  never 
traverse  your  state  but  this  once  :  and  I  want  to  be  at  leisure 
to  do  it  with  some  deliberation.  But  still  more  do  I  wish  to 
meet  and  thank  the  noble  Minnesotians— no  matter  where 
they  W(n-(>  bon\  or  what  have  been  their  affinities  or  antipa- 
thic » to  me  Avho  have  I'onsecrated  their  lives  to  their  coun- 
try's salvation.  You  probably  have  noted  that  I  have  not 
ai'ways  felt  so  sanguine  of  a  happy  issue  from  our  present 
troubles  as  many  if  not  most  other  loyal  Americans  haVedone. 
I  have  too  often  feared  that  disloyalty  at  the  North  would 
complete  the  ruin  plotted  and  inaugurated  by  open  treason  at 
the  South.  Jt  is  possible,  therefore,  that  I  enjoy  the  brighter 
prospects  that  have  recently  opened  before  us  more  keenly 
than  those  who  receive  them  as  a  matter  of  course.  I  now 
feel  more  than  hopeful  that  the  Rebellion  will  be  put  down 
and  the  Union  preserved.     But  the  struggle  is  not  yet  over, 


•^« 


MI.MOltANDA    .\M»    MnTKIlS. 


4or> 


nor  iH  the  icHiilt  iil).s()liit('ly  sure.  Ami,  so  loii^  ii.s  lluMc  is 
anytluiig  to  1h>  ilonr  or  to  1h^  ft'iii-cd  <»!i  the  side  of  tlu^  Ihiioi), 
it  Hci'iiiH  to  me  that  my  i)()8t,  wiu'thcr  of  duly  or  dimj^cr,  is 
here,  mon^  espociiilly  wliiio  tlip  ^rcntt'st  n'nmiiiiii;^  imd  now 
moHt  imminent  peril  of  tlie  Nationid  c(ins«»  istlwitof  Northern 
defection  and  hostilily  riitlier  than  of  Soutliern  treason.  Let 
me  onco  more,  then,  he^  the  Farmt>rs  of  MinnesotH  to  Imve 
patience  with  me  and  to  excuse  my  alis(>nce  from  their  Fair 
this  Autumn,  in  the  suu^uine  hoj»e  tluit  tlie  next  Summer's 
sun  will  smile  upon  our  country  reunited,  pcjiceful  and  secure, 
and  that  1  nuiy  visit  you  next  Autumn  in  the  hope  of  meeting 
many  of  the  heroes  of  our  great  struggle,  safely  rettirned 
from  the  bivomic  and  the  battle-tield,  rejoicing  in  the  grateful 
appreciation  of  their  counti-ymen  and  in  the  proud  endear- 
ments of  their  hap|)y  wives  and  chililren. 

Youis  truly,  Hokaci;  Gueklkv. 

John  H.  Stevens,  Esij.,  Sec.  State  Ag.  Soc,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 
State  of  Minnesota,  Executive  l)e{)artmenl. 
St.  Paul!  Septend)er  21st,  18();i 

To  Whom  it  may  (Concern  :  Tliis  is  toci  tify  tliat  pursuant 
to  the  ])rovisions  of  the  law  of  this  State  to  enable  citizens 
engaged  in  the  military  and  naval  service  of  the  United  States 
to  vote  in  their  several  election  districts,  John  H.  Stevens,  the 
bearer  hereof,  has  been  dxily  appointed  and  ciualitied  as  one  of 
the  Commissioners  didy  a])pointed  to  visit  and  receive  the 
votes  of  snch  of  the  soldiers  of  Minnesota  as  are  in  the  South- 
ern and  Western  states  lying  west  of  the  western  line  of  the 
States  of  Virginia  and  Ni^rth  and  South  Carolina. 

It  is  earnestly  desired  that  the  military  authorities  will 
respect  Mr.  Stevens  as  such  Commissioner,  and  allow  him 
free  access  to  the  soldiers  of  this  state  for  the  purpose  desig- 
nated. In  testimony  whereof  I  have  herennto  set  my  hand 
and  cans(Hl  the  Great  Seal  of  the  State  to  be  affixed  the  day 
and  year  aforesaid.  Henisy  A.  Swift. 

[Seal.  J     By  the  Govei-nor  :  D.  Blakely,  Sec.  of  State. 

IN   DELATION    TO   THE    INDIAN    WAl!. 

Governor  Alex.  Ramsey  writes,  Sept.  2,  18(52  :  "  My  dear 
"  Col.— I  am  pleased  to  learn  that  by  yonr  energetic  measures 
"  qniet  has  been  restored  to  the  country  about  Glencoe.  I 
"  wish  Captain  Stront  to  remain  in  the  eastern  counties  where 


4<)6 


MKMOUANDA   AND   LETTEHH. 


'■  lio  now  is  until  I'mtlid-  orders.  Our  forces  liave  relieved 
"  llidfjjley,  and  on  Sunday  Col.  Sibley  witli  u  portion  of  his 
"  command,  nio\('d  tov.ards  the  jjower  Agency.  The  Chip- 
"  powHS  are  (piiet,  and  we  are  sendin^c  relief  to  Abeir roml )ie, 
''  so  I  hoj)e  in  a  shon  time  we  will  return  to  a  ([uiet  condition. 
"  liut  the  Sioux  must  leave  the  state." 

Senator  Henry  U.  Kiee  writes  Oct.  12,  lS(i'2  :  "Dear  Col.: 
What's  in  the  wind  .■*  Are  the  Indians  apiin  to  he  })laced 
upon  their  reservations,  and  their  crimes  ^o  unavenged  ? 
(lod  forbid.  Who  can  care  for  Minnesota,  or  who  can  sym- 
pathizi>  with  those  who  have  sutVcred  worse  than  death,  and 
tlie  relations  of  the  dead,  that  will  for  a  monier.t  think  of 
keeping  those  tiends  within  our  state?  The  jJeople  of  yo\ir 
c(»unty  have  all  at  stake.  Y*m  can  help  them,  and  I  know 
will.     My  nil,  life  itself,  will  be  given  to  save  Minnesota." 

(jovernor  St(>phen  Miller  writes,  June  10,  IKfJI]  :  •'  My  dear 
Sir  I  have  strong  hop(^s  that  the  da^s  of  panic  have  compar- 
atively i)assed,  and  that  the  good  citizens  upon  the  frontier 
will,  like  our  old  ancestors  in  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Kentucky, 
and  other  states,  pitch  in  on  their  own  hook,  and  scalp  every 
hostile  Sioux  that  by  any  possibility  j)asses  the  military  line. 
So  far  as  1  can  learn  only  about  eighteen  hostile  Sioux,  all 
told  have  visiti'd  the  state  this  si)ring,  ami  yet  we  learn  that 
grown  up  men  talk  of  leaving  the  state.  Let  us,  my  good 
friend,  stand  our  ground  at  all  hazards,  and  infuse  such  a 
spirit  of  gallant  ry  in  our  good  citi/.(Mis  as  will  make  <nir  soil 
the  tomb  of  every  redskiniuHl  demon  that  tlares  to  approach 
it.  The  military  will  be  \irged  by  every  possible  considera- 
tion to  pei'form  their  whole  duty." 

Onthe'iothor  tlu-  same  month,  (lovernor  Miller  writes  : 
"  I  know  that  in  t  verything  that  fends  to  the  promotion  of  the 
great  object  in  view  1  may  rely  upon  the  cooj)eration  of  your- 
self and  a  number  of  other  w«vrthies  upon  the  tnnitier.  In- 
(duding  Abercrond)ie,  I  have  but  two  thousand  troops,  all  told, 
withwhidi  to  protect  four  hundred  miles  of  frontier.  But 
with  the  aid  of  yourself,  and  with  oilier  good  citizens,  who 
greet  me  with  kindly  words,  though  they  do  not  in  all  things 
agree  with  me,  I  trust  that  reason  will  yet  prevad.  Hel{)  mo, 
1  beg  of  you,  to  g«'t  our  good  citizens  inspired  with  the  hero- 
ism which  distinguished  the  early  pioneers  of  the  Northwest. 


MEMOKANDA   AND    LETTEHS. 


407 


Asa  general  rule  they  did  their  own  flighting  ;  assistaiu'e  by 
i((ivernuieiit  troops  was  the  exception .  J  woidd  not,  if  J  could, 
[)l!ice  HO  heavy  a  burthen  upon  our  frontii>r  now  ;  but  is  it  too 
much  to  ask  them  to  let  us  throw  our  strength  upon  the  fron- 
tier line  ;  while  they  keej)  themselves  ready  to  act  as  a  reserve 
in  case  of  an  emergiMicy  ?  It  other  words,  while  they  trust 
in  (iod  and  the  soldiers,  can  we  not  persuade  them  to  kcn^p 
their  arms  convenient,  and  '  their  powder  dry'  V  lint  let  the 
red  demons  once  know  that  soldiers  and  citizens  alike  have 
scouted  [)auics,  and  sworn  death  to  every  savage  invader,  and 
my  life  for  it,  they  will  very  soon  h't  u:<  alone.  1  Jim  using 
every  effort  to  establish  the  line  and  to  make  it  eHiciiMit.  I 
am  terribly  in  eanu'st.  I  am  api)lied  to  for  hundreds  of  troops 
daily,  from  St.  Croix  via  Lake  Superior,  Crow  Wing.  ()ttt>r 
Tail,  (tc,  clear  to  the  Iowa  line  and  must  ne  Is  reply  to  all, 
l)ut  certninly  to  none  more  cheerfully  than  yourself." 

On  the  22(1  of  July,  IHOH,  Governor  Miller  writes,  dfiting 
from  "  Headcpuirters  of  the  Forces  in  (Jarx-isou,  District  of 
Minnesota,  Department  of  the  Northwest.  St.  Paul,  Minn. 
iVly  Dear  Col.:  Your  kind  communication  of  a  few  <hiys  since 
found  me  greatly  afHicted  by  the  intellii^ence  that  my  eldest 
.son,  a  first  ]ieut(Mi!ii\t  in  the  Seventh  U.  S.  Infantry,  had  fallen 
at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  It  is  a  sad,  sail  blow  ;  but  he 
died  at  his  post  ;  an<l  I  bless  his  memory.  li<>tter  that  my 
entire  family  should  perish  than  one  star  Ix' erased  fi'om  the 
*)ld  Flag. 

"I  am  gratified  to  learn  that  you  are  likely  to  renuiin  In  the 
infected  district  for  a  time.  I  always  tVnd  much  easier  when 
you  are  there.  Your  paper  too,  I  am  happy  to  see,  is  distrib- 
uting the  best  possii)le  counsel  to  our  j)anic-stricken  citizens  ; 
and  will,  T  hoi)e,  l)ring  them  to  see  that  a  do/en  or  twenty 
Indians  are  not  likely  to  depopulate  a  half-dozen  counties  if 
we  do  our  duty. 

"If  the  Democratic  organization  know  their  duty  aiid  con- 
sult their  interests,  and  can  eU'ct  any  candi'iate,  they  will  give 
you  the  gubernatorial  nomii\ation  whethf.  yoti  want  it  or  not. 
I  am  sorry  to  say  that  your  party,  as  well  as  another  I  could 
name,  too  often  reserves  its  nominations  for  '})igmies,'  instead 
t)f  conferring  them  \ipou  its  best  men.     Ever  your  friend, 

8.  MiLLEU. 


w 


408 


MEMOliANlJA    AM)    LKI  I  I'.llS. 


IN  THE   Ti;EAsri{V   DEPAliTMEXT. 

Wiisliiiitjton,  Mny  17th,  1804. 

My  dear  Col.:  AVlienover  a  vacancy  in  niiy  ])lace  at  Natclic/. 
occui'H,  and  tor  ^\'hicll  you  desire  to  he  a  candidate,  send  nic 
ail  application  for  the  j)lace  uud  I  Mill  at  once  present  it. 

As  Mr.  Chase,  has  a  general  a^ent  for  tlie  business  of  his 
department  in  the  sonthwcst.  it  would  he  well  to  have  his 
endorsement  of  the  application.     Very  truly  yours,  <tc., 

Alex.  Ramsey. 
Col.  J.  H.  Steven.s.  Natch(>z,  Miss. 

Frou)  the  Kotun  of  Clfums  Commission,  De])Hrtment  of  the 
Gulf,  N(>w  Orleans,  La.,  May  1"),  18(5"),  Jiri,!4adi(>r-(Teneral 
M.  lirayman  reports:  "Hon.  John  H.  Stevens  of  Minnesota 
was,  for  several  months  (hiring!;  my  command  at  Natchez, 
Mi.ss.,  an  officer  of  the  Treasury  De{)artment  at  that  place. 

'"Hecanu\  a  stran<.c''r,  hij^hly  recomnu'uded  by  nu'U  dis- 
tin,u;ui.shed  in  civil  ami  military  life.  1  found  him  an  upright, 
honorable  aiid  true  uuui,  and  worthy  my  highest  respect  and 
confidence. 

"  So  far  as  I  know,  (and  I  had  good  nn>ans  of  knowing,) 
liis  ofiic'al  duties  were  pertonned  inti'lligeiitly,  honestly,  and 
for  the  good  «»f  the  service,  and  when  he  look  i-esponsibilities 
or  nm\]  discretionary  powt'r.s,  it  was  dune  wisely,  und  with  few 
mistakes. 

"  In  my  efforts  to  correct  the  gross  ini*]uities  which  disgraced 
the  pui>lic  servic(»  at  Natchez,  and  in  the  laborious  investiga- 
tions made  under  my  <iirertii>n,  I  profited  imicli    by  the  wise 
counsel  and  roidy  assistance  atl'onh'il  by  Mi'.  Stevens." 
I.KTl  rilS    liJOM   (JOVEliNOlt    SlULEV. 

"  Mendotn,  Keb.  :»2.  iSCri.  Hon.  Joiin  H.  Stevens,  H.  of  R.. 
St.  Paul  :  My  dear  Sir  Thert  isa  pco;  wiiluw  woman  named 
Ellen  Langt'ord,  for  whusi'  relief  a  bill  was  passi^l  in  T^s  «n- 
'51>,  by  the  legislature,  whi'h  gave  her  the  preference  in  the 
pnrchase  of  the  l(t()  at-res  on  the  hchool  lands  where  she  li\ed 
and  still  lives.  A  bill  for  the  rejteal  of  that  act  was  intro- 
duci'd  info  the  senate  anil  passi-il  wiiilc  the  woman  was  sick  in 
bed,  and  she  knew  nothing  of  it,  \uuil  within  the  last  W(>ek. 
She  is  in  great  distress  about  it,  and  as  the  grant  wa.s  nuule  to 
her  in  good  faith  after  the  case  hnd  b(>en  thoroughly  examined 
upon  its  merits,  I  trust  the  hoixse  will  not  concur  in  the  i'ej[)eal. 


MKMt)l!AND.V   AND    Ll'.TTKItS. 


409 


It  is  evident  there  has  been  some  niulerhaiKled  move  ;i<fninst 
hei',  nud  I  liope  you  will  fo(>l  it  to  bo  your  (bity  to  defend  lur 
rights,  with  your  vote  and  infiueuce.  I  hope  soon  to  see  you 
and  talk  over  matters  in  "general. " 

St.  Paul,  Feb.  12,  1870. 

My  dear  Colonel  :  Mr.  Horace  Thompson  and  myself  were 
at  the  eapitol  yesterday,  intrndinii;  tocallon  3'ou,  but  the  house 
hud  adjounuxl  before  we  could  do  so.  Our  object  was  to  con- 
sult with  you  in  relation  to  a  joint  resolution  drawn  by  us,  and 
now  in  the  hands  of  SiMiator  Wilkinson,  providing  for  the 
formation  of  a  commission  of  thirteen  of  the  most  prominent 
and  reliable  men  in  the  state,  geot^raphically  distributed,  who 
shall  ha\v.  ^,:)wer  to  send  for  persons  and  papers,  and  examine 
witnesses  under  oath,  and  i*eport  to  the  next  legislature  their 
facts  and  conclusions  as  to  the  legal  and  equitable  liabilities 
of  the  state  in  connection  with  the  state  railroad  bonds.  Every 
fair-minded  man  must  feel  the  necessity  in  this  centennial 
year  of  something  being  done  to  show  to  the  outside  woi-ld 
that  Minnesota  intends  to  ascertain  what  her  status  is,  so  far 
as  those  bonds  are  concerned,  with  a  view  to  x'l'oper  action  in 
the  premises.  Minnesota  is  now  suffering  financially,  as  v?ell 
as  in  character,  and  }  ou  will  doubtless  fet^l  as  we  do,  that  the 
time  has  arrived  for  the  state  to  take  up  this  cpiestion  and 
dispose  of  it  upon  equitable  and  honorable  terms,  and  thus 
free  herself  of  the  stain  which  rests  upon  her.  You  can  effect 
much  in  procuring  the  passage  of  the  joii  *  resolution  thnmgh 
the  house.  You  and  I  feel  alike  that  tli  (piestion  should  be 
adjusted  on  an  honorable  basi.s,  and  I  hope  that  will  li<'  done 
during  my  lifetime.     Y'^our  old  frieml.  H.  H.  Sihley. 

St.  Paul,  Nov.  10th,  1S84. 

My  dear  old  friend  :  I  feel  deeply  grateful  to  yourself,  ajid 
the  many  friends  I  am  fortunate  enough  to  have  among  the 
old  settlers  of  Hennepin  county,  fcr  the  kind  and  flattering 
greeting  I  have  received  from  them,  through  ytm,  on  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  my  first  advent  to  what  is  now  a  great 
and  prosperous  state. 

The  occasion  was,  nevertlieless,  somewhat  tinged  with  mel- 
ancholy, wlien  my  mind  reverted  Ui  the  long  list  of  those  wh(» 
with  us  had  "borne  the  burden  and  lieat  of  the  day,"  but  had 
been  "gathered  to  their  fathers,"  leaving  but  a  remnant  of 


410 


MEMOliANDV    AND    LETTEllS. 


thoir  co-labovprB   to   Hiirvivp   them.     God  grant  to  yoii  all  a 
leiigtheiu'cl  term  of  yearn,  and  a  happy  end. 

Please  give  my  warm  regards  to  all  the  members  of  your 
honored  AsBociation,  and  believe  me  as  ever,  yonrs  sincerely. 

H.  H.  Sibley. 

LETTEIJH    FKOM    H.    M.    UirV. 

Senator  H.  M.  lliee,  under  date  of  Wa.shington,  Feb,  4th, 
1855,  writes  :  "My  Dear  Sir:  Ere  this  reaches  you,  you  will 
have  heard  of  the  passage  of  the  Reserve  Bill  through  the 
House,  and  ere  to-morrow  night  I  hope  it  will  pass  the  Senate. 
Don't  Ames  feel  good  !  I  hope  you  will  all  feel  relieved. 
Yo\i  do  not  know  how  much  I  have  to  do.  The  only  reward 
I  hoj)e  for  is  that  my  work  will  produce  a  good  yield  of  rich 
fruit.  The  doctor  has  worked  well,  and  I  like  him  much. 
Soon  as  the  Reserve  Bill  becomes  a  law  1  will  start  for  home." 

"  Washington,  April  1st,  1858. — Steele  is  here,  but  the  death 
of  one  of  his  children,  and  the  present  illness  of  his  entire 
family,  has  necessarily  made  him  apparently  neglectful  of  his 
friends,  I  intend  to  support  the  Administration,  believing 
that  in  so  doing  I  am  protecting  the  best  interests  of  our  glo- 
riour  state,  upon  whicli  nature  has  lavished  so  much  that  is 
good.  In  regard  to  the  loan  bill  :  I  am  a  warm  advocate  of 
its  ratification  by  the  peoj)le.  Upon  its  adoption  conse- 
qiiences  of  the  highest  moment  to  the  state  de])end.  We 
must  keep  pace  with  the  progress  of  other  portions  of  the 
country.  That  a  network  of  railroads  in  our  state  is  impera- 
tively demanded,  no  one  can  deny.  And  I  believe  th(^  only 
feasible  and  sure  method  of  accomplishing  this  result  is  the 
one  ado])ted  by  the  legislature.  I  trust  the  amendment  will 
bo  atlopted  by  an  almost  unani-mus  vote." 

"Washington,  April  IC),  1858.  Steele  left  here  to-day  for 
New  York.  He  is  right  all  the  time.  We  do  not  admit  a 
constitution  we  admit  a  state.  The  ])eople  can,  after  admis- 
sion, fix  lip  their  own  matters,  as  they  please.  How  ridiculous 
this  etenial  quarrel  about  a  few  negroes,  and  at  the  expense 
of  twenty-five  millions  of  white  people." 

"Washington,  April  24th,  1800.  -  The  accounts  from  Pike's 
Peak  are  conflicting.  Were  you  a  single  num,  I  might  advi.se 
you  to  go  there,  but  when  I  think  of  your  wife  and  little  ones 
that  must  be  left  behind.  I  cannot  do  it.     You  ought  to  have 


i 


MEMORANDA  AND  LETTERS. 


411 


an  nj)pointment  in  our  state  where  you  have  done  snch  good 
service.  I  hope  the  time  may  eonie  when  you  will  be  re- 
warded for  your  labors,  not  only  for  the  party  and  your  friends, 
but  for  services  rendered  the  new  comers." 

"  St.  Paul,  October  3d,  1800. -I  went  to  the  Fair  for  the 
pur])ose  of  meeting  you,  but  you  had  left.  I  did  wish  to  have 
a  long  talk  with  you.  You  are  one  of  the  old  guard  you  who 
have  sacrificed  much  for  the  good  of  Minnesota.  I  did  wish 
to  see  you  to  a.scertain  what  has  caused  a  separation  between 
us.  My  conscience  tells  me  that  I  am  right.  I  know  that  I 
am  in  llie  minority— but  were  I  alone,  and  yet  f  "islained  by 
conscit'iice,  I  would  fight  to  the  last.  Political  ties  are  strong 
but  personal  cvs  are  stronger.  A  thousand  new-comers  may^ 
disagree  with  me,  and  not  a  sleej)less  night  will  I  psss— but 
when  one  of  the  old  giuird  says  I  am  wrcmg,  I  cannot  sleep. 
Now,  my  f  ri(^nd,  if  your  heart  says  that  Douglas  is  right,  that 
he  has  been  ccmsistent,  continue  to  support  him.  I  think 
Breckinridge  is  right —I  shall  support  him.  This  is  a  private 
letter,  written  to  a  friend,  in  a  friendly  spirit.  I  say  to  you 
that  a  Douglas  organization  cannot  be  kept  up  ninety  days. 
He  has  gone  he  is  working  with  the  South  Amerit-ans  and 
they  cannot  stand  the  light  of  day.  Doiiglas  now  occupies  the 
sixth  positicm  upon  the  subject  of  Slavery.  Douglas  is  out  of 
the  (piestion,  and  why  waste  })owdernpon  hin'  Lincoln  I  do 
not  believe  can  be  elected.  Therefore  let  us  keep  our  forces 
together.     (Jod  bless  you." 

"St.  Paul,  April  i),  1S7(). — Yours  of  the  7th  came  yesterday. 
Its  tone  struck  a  chord  that  has  been  dormant  a  long  time. 
By  it  I  can  see  that  in  you  the  milk  of  human  kindness  is  as 
fresh  and  copi(ms  as  in  times  long  past.  I  thank  you  for  it, 
and  will  try  and  visit  your  place  this  week.     HiiNRY  M.  RiCE." 

FROM    HON.    IGNATIUS   DONNELLY. 

"Nininger,  Mitni.,  August  8th,  1859. —I  perfectly  agree 
with  you,  that  politics  should  not  make  lis  lose  sight  cf  our 
material  interests.  Honor  and  wealth  are  two  very  distinct 
things,  and  one  cannot  supply  the  want  of  tlie  other. 

"  Is  then;  no  way  of  trading  lots  in  Nininger,  or  Louiiiville, 
for  five  hundred  or  one  thousand  acres  of  land,  timber,  lake, 
etc.,  near  Glencoe  ?  I  could  throw  in  five  hundred  dolhirs  in 
money.     If  so,  I  would  im])rove  the  whole  tract,  and  move  on 


412 


MEMORANDA   AM>    I.KTTKHS. 


;  m 


to  it,  (vnd  then  set  myself  to  work  to  advance  the  interests  of 
McLeod  county  with  nil  my  strength  and  will.  T  want  to  get 
a  good  big  farm.  We  ootdd  lay  our  heads  toi^ether  and  either 
build  a  tram  railroad  from  Carv(>r  or  a  i)lank  road.  That 
thirty  miles  of  timber  is  the  curso  of  McLcod  county  at 
present.  It  takes  considerable  hardihood  to  travol  through 
it  twice.  You  will  never  advance  rapidly  until  you  have  a 
good  road. 

"  By  all  means  go  into  the  legislature.  I  think  there  is  a 
future  of  prosperity  before  both  of  us  ;  there  are  new  towns 
to  be  laid  out,  and  new  counties  to  bi'  settled. 

"A  poverty-stricken  politician  is  one  of  the  most  miserable 
objects  alive  ;  and  it  is  the  duty  of  cAery  sensible  man,  by  all , 
means  to  place  himself  beyond  the  reach  of  want.     There  is 
no  degree  of  intellect  that  can  resist  the  deadening  influence 
of  an  empty  pocket." 

"Niningor,  Dec.  20,  1873. — If  you  had  not  made  that 
unfortunate  protection  speech  we  could  have  nominated  you 
for  Governor  and  have  elected  you.  But  there  is  a  future  in 
which  we  can  all  correct  our  mistakes. 

"  Be  assui-ed  that  although  compelled  to  opposed  you  then, 
it  vt'as  on  no  personal  gi-ound,  and  I  shall  R(>i/e  th(>  first 
opportimity  to  show  you  how  sincerely  I  uiu  your  friend. 

IdNATIUS  DoNNKLLY. 
AN    EARLY    ROOM— WITH   A    PROTEST— FROM   FRANKLIN   STEELE. 

"I'ort  Snellhig,  August  20th,  1854.  — Dear  Stevens  :  I  have 
received  your  two  letters,  and  write  this  with  the  hope  that  it 
may  reach  yoii  in  Galena.  We  have  had  our  own  troubles 
since  you  left,  with  the  i)eople  claiming  to  have  ])urchased  lots 
from  you,  to  the  extent  of  nlnrnt  half  of  all  that  is  valuable. 
Mr.  Sampson  returned  froni  St.  Paul  the  day  that  you  left, 
and  told  everybody  that  you  had  authorized  him  to  say  that 
any  one  could  go  and  select  a  lot  where  they  pleased  at  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  lot.  The  consecjuence  was  that 
half  the  town  was  claimed,  and  they  began  to  haul  on  the 
hnnber  to  Imild.  Northrup  came  down  forme  wIkmi,  with  the 
assistance  of  Mr.  Lewis  and  Mr.  Case,  most  of  tlieui  were 
induced  to  desist  until  you  should  return.  Some  of  tliem, 
having  deeds  from  you,  remain. 'L  Now  it  is  absolutely  nec- 
essary that  wo  should  refuse  to  sell  or  i)ermit  a  single  indi 


MEMORANDA   AND  LETTERS. 


41M 


A'idunl  to  comp  on  to  the  jiremisos  Ix'foro  the  dny  of  sale, 
l^pon  your  return  you  will  be  beset  on  nil  hnnds,  but  you 
must  make  Init  one  rule  to  all,  to  refuse  to  do  a  thiuLj  before 
you  <^et  a  title.  In  this  way  you  will  escape  a  world  of  trouble. 
I  have  taken  the  advice  of  our  mutual  friends,  Case  and  Ames, 
and  have  acted  a.s  your  agent  in  the  affair." 

"Fort  Snellin.t,',  Sept.  22d,  1854 -Dear  Stevens:  Now  for 
your  own  sake  and  min(>,  remend)er  our  arrangement  and  do 
not  give  away  all  you  have  or  expect  to  get.  I  may  be  doing 
you  an  injustice  ;  if  so,  what  T  now  write  will  go  for  nothing. 
Now  I  implore  you  not  to  ijromise  a  single  lot  before  a  title 
accrues.  Your  friend,  Franklin  Steele." 

"Fort  Snelling,  Dec.  11,  1859.-Dear  Col.:  I  shall  ever 
cherish  the  most  grateful  feeling  toward  you  and  our  mutual 
friends  Cowan  and  Adams,  for  honest  effort  to  promote  my 
interest,  although  not  successful.  If  all  who  have  made  })ro- 
fessions  of  friendship  had  acted  as  ycni  have  done,  I  nnght 
have  b(>en  gratified  to  the  full  extent  of  my  ambition,  and  have 
been  in  a  position  to  help  my  friends  ;  but  I  have  found  that 
those  I  have  served  most  faithfully  have  been  the  first  to 
desert  ne  whor  I  re(piired  their  assistance.  I  will  leave  for 
the  East  immediately  and  obtain  all  the  information  |)ossible 
in  regard  to  Pike's  Peak,  and  other  ])lacesnow  resorted  to  for 
recuperatitm.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  a  very  large  emigra- 
tion will  set  in  toward  Minnesota  in  the  sjjring,  and  that 
affairs  will  impi'ove.  If  I  did  not  entertain  this  belief  I  si  ould 
take  my  final  departure  immediately,  for  I  would  no:  go 
through  for  another  year  what  I  have  th»^  past  for  any  con- 
sideration. If  I  can  find  any  place  in  which  you  can  dobe^er 
than  at  home  u])on  your  farm,  I  will  wi-ite  you.  Your  old 
and  faithful  friend,  Franklin  Steele." 

FRATERNAL   LETTERS   FROM   DR.    ALFRED    E.    AMES. 

Dr.  Alfred  E.  Ames  was  oni'  of  the  earliest  and  most  prom- 
inent j)ioneer8  of  Minneapolis.  From  notes  made  at  the  retpiest 
of  his  children,  it  appears  that  he  was  a  native  of  Vt'rmont. 
His  grandfather  Ames  hadfcmrteen  children,  his  father  eight, 
and  the  doctor  himself  seven.  In  youth  he  struggled  for  an 
ediu'ation,  taught  school,  studied  medicine,  antl  worked  inces- 
santly. In  boyhood,  on  his  way  from  Vermont  to  Okio,  by 
the  Erie  Canal,  at  Schenectady  he  tirst  saw  a  railroad  train. 


414 


MEMORANDA  AND   LETTEU8. 


"A  riitle  engine,  with  three  cars  attached,  made  several  efforts 
"  to  start,  when  bystanders  pushed,  and  off  it  went."  He  rode 
from  D.etroit  to  Chicago  in  a  stage.  *'  Chicago  then  liad  5i,(X)0 
"  inhabitants  of  ludf  breeds  and  all  others."  From  Cliicago 
he  followed  an  Indian  trail  sixty-five  miles  northwest  to  Boone 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  made  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  and  built  a  log  house  ;  jiassing  through  severe 
trials,  in  relation  to  which  he  says  "there  is  nothing  so  good 
"  for  such  dark  days  as  a  firm  resolution—  a  sure  determination 
"and  reliance  upon  Ciotl."  Putting  a  pack  on  his  back,  he 
"  took  an  Indian  trail  and  went  to  Vandalia,  then  the  seat  of 
"government.  Thanks  to  Heaven,"  he  wi'ites,  "  I  soon  found 
"  employment.  Hon.  Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  Captain  James 
"  Craig  interceded  and  introduced  me  to  Alex.  B.  Field,  who 
"was  then  secretary  of  state,  who  employed  me  as  his  deputy, 
"and Governor  Thomas  Carliu  made  me  his  private  secretary." 
He  afterwai'ds  went  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  was  employed 
by  Stephen  A.  Douglas  as  his  deputy  secretary  of  state.  About 
this  time  he  was  "  raised  to  the  Sublime  degree  of  Masonry," 
and  also  gave  medical  lectures.  He  was  elected  first  to  the 
house  and  then  to  the  senate  of  Illinois.  In  1851  he  came  to 
Minneapolis,  and  in  1852  brought  his  family  here.  He  records 
that  "  Minneapolis  was  then  called  and  known  as  All  Saints." 
He  was  i)resent  at  the  organization  of  Hennepin  county,  and 
was  the  firet  physician  in  Minneapolis.  In  1854,  his  journal 
says,  "an  effort  was  made  to  sell  the  Eeserve  to  the  highest 
"  bidder,  but  the  plats  did  not  arrive  in  time  to  make  the  sale. 
"By  the  request  of  friends  I  went  to  Washington,  took  an 
"  appeal  from  the  Commissioner  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Inte- 
"  rior,  which  stayed  i)roceedings  until  the  meeting  of  Congress, 
"  when  a  law  was  ])Hssed  giving  the  settlers  a  preemption." 
Dr.  Ames  was  a  member  of  the  Minnesota  Constitutional  Con- 
vention. Diiring  the  civil  war,  while  his  sons  were  enlisting, 
he  recorded  his  "  hope  and  trust  that  God  would  overrule  the 
"  storm  and  again  bring  our  fair  land  to  rest  and  our  people  to 
"  peace  and  hap|)iness."  He  died  in  1874:.  Some  character- 
istic letters  of  his  are  given  : 

Washington,  Jan.  5,  1855. — Dear  Col. :  To-day  Rice  and 
myself  will  go  all  around  and  see  how  the  boys  feel.  Be 
assured  that  it  is  up  hill  work.     My  communications  are  not 


MEMOKANJX\   AND    hETTEUS. 


415 


for  the  public  eye.  Henceforth  let  me  only  ho  kuowu  in 
quiet  life.  I  have  already  met  with  too  many  besetments  on 
life's  journey.  Illy  am  I  prepared  for  vexations  and  troubles. 
At  my  period  of  life,  I  am  weary,  and  rest  would  not  be  dis- 
tressing to  my  thoughts.  Speak  not  of  me  to  any  but  my . 
friends.     To  my  friends  I  am  indebted  for  what  life  is  to  me. 

Washington,  Jan.  7,  1855.  -The  chiefs  of  the  Winnebago 
tribes  and  the  upper  Chippewa  chiefs  have  been  ordered  on 
liere  to  treat  with  them.  So  you  see  there  will  soon  be  more 
public  laud  in  Minnesota  for  settlement  and  cultivation.  We 
are  going  at  a  snail's  pace.  I  have  been  here  a  week  this 
evening.  The  way  looks  dark  and  doubtful.  Keep  shady. 
Don't  let  our  enemies  know  what  our  thoughts  are.  I  hope 
Steele  and  Case  will  be  here  this  week.  Steele's  jirocrastina- 
tion  endangers  our  equities.  AVhen  Case,  Steele  and  Smith 
get  here  we  will  do  something  or  die. 

Coloiuil,  tell  our  enemies  that  the  Reserve  will  be  sold  under 
the  direction  of  the  War  Department,  Tell  them  anything 
but  the  facts.     But  stick  to  what  you  tell  them.     Fraternally. 

Washington,  Jan.  14. — Dear  Col.:  To-day  has  been  a  lone- 
some day  to  me.  The  mind  has  viewed  the  panorama  of  my 
life  and  prognosticated  the  future.  Nothing  in  the  past  very 
interesting  or  useful  ;  in  the  future  much  darkness  and  con- 
fusion, judging  from  the  manifestations.  Your  expectations 
of  me  are  too  high.  I  am  but  a  feeble  num.  However,  I  am 
always  ready  to  labor  for  the  best  interests  of  my  friends  and 
Minnesota.  I  cannot  yet  uuike  a  favorable  report  to  you. 
During  the  week  there  will  be  something  done,  l-at  I  fear  and 
tremble  for  the  result.  Our  hopes  are  very  low.  For  God's 
sake  and  our  interests,  don't  drop  a  word  that  I  write  to  you  ; 
it  wimld  be  hazardous.  Our  enemies  have  injured  us  r -;'h, 
and  stand  ready  at  their  posts  to  carryforward  theii  _ael 
work.  So  soon  as  there  is  anything  tinal  had  as  to  our 
interests  you  shall  be  advised.     Your  brother. 

Washington,  Jan.  21.  -  My  dear  Col. :  This  is  the  tenth  let- 
ter I  have  writteu  to  you.  Why  I  write,  can't  sny,  only  that 
you  are  often  in  my  mind  ;  also  my  regard  for  you  and  the 
recollection  of  the  many  kindnesses  tlmt  have  been  bestowed 
upon  me  by  you  and  yours  makes  the  impression  and  demands 
a  manifestation  of  recollection.     My  mission  here  has  not  yet 


I' 


416 


MEMOlJAXn.V    AND    f.ETTEKU. 


nmnifoatod  anything:  good  for  uh.  ^Vo  sliall  make  bij^  efforts 
the  coming  week.  All  is  diirkuesH  and  doubt  to  me.  Keep 
my  letters  from  tho  public  eye.     Faithfully  and  fraternally. 

Washington,  Jan.  31,  IHoo.— My  dear  Brother  and  Com.: 
Toil  speak  of  an  excitement — political,  postoffice,  «tc.  Little 
do  I  care  for  such  storms  ;  give  mo  a  title  to  my  claim,  and 
everything  else  may  go.  Your  attachments  to  your  i)arty 
Whig  is  known  to  me.  (to  it.  I  will  not  (piarrel  with  yon 
about  that.  Yonr  labors  in  grand  lodge  will,  no  doubt,  be 
approved  by  the  ovex-seer's  sc^uare.  As  yet  I  know  nothing  of 
affairs   in   tin*   Minnesota  legislature — don't   care   to   know. 

Yon  say  that  I  must  not  show  my  head  there  again,  if  I 
fail  in  obtaining  a  law  for  tho  security  of  the  settlers  on 
the  Reserve.  Colonel,  you  aro  too  stringent  on  me.  Yon 
know  very  well  that  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  secure  our  e([uities 
and  those  of  our  good  neighbors.  It  is  very  little  that  an 
(mtsider  can  do.  If  nothing  else,  to  promote  my  own  interest 
would  make  me  work.  We  have  a  bill  in  committee  of  the 
whole  house  ;  if  it  passes  it  will  go  to  the  senate  ;  it  will 
secure  all  the  settlers  on  the  Reserve  in  their  equities. 

Washington,  Feb.  28th,  1855.  -Col.  Stevens  :  The  Reserve 
bill  passed  this  morning  without  amendment.  We  are  safe. 
All  is  well.  Rejoice  !  We  have  great  rejoicing  here  to-day. 
Mr.  Rice  has  worked  hard  for  us — don't  forget  him.  Our 
peoj)lo  are  under  great  obligations  to  him.  A.  E.  Ames. 

Minneapolis,  M.  T.,  March  11,  1857. — We  aro  glad  to  hear 
fnnn  you  and  your  dear  family.  May  our  God  ever  bless 
you  and  yours  at  the  "  Mouticello"  of  your  soul,  alias  the 
"  Home  farm"  of  comfort  and  happiness.  I  have  nothing  to 
communicate  that  will  be  interesting,  excepting  the  glorious 
intelligence,  the  passage  of  the  Railroad  bill.  It  jjassed  Con- 
gress on  the  8d  inst.  A  new  day  has  dawned  on  this  fair  land. 
The  most  sanguine  expectations  of  the  sons  of  Minnesota  will 
be  mtn-e  than  realized.  Our  fair  maiden  will  soon  put  on  her 
attire  of  sister.  Her  chains  are  already  being  designed.  She 
will  be  the  faii'est  of  the  family.  Blessed  be  God,  she  has 
not  a  blemish,  and  will  never  grow  old.  How  often  we  have 
talked  over  her  graces  and  future  wealth.  Beautiful  land- 
scapes, and  running,  laughing  waters.  How  inviting.  "Say 
on,  brother !"     Fraternally.  A.  E.  Ames. 


Mr.MOll.VND.V   AM)    LKTTF.HS. 


tr 


IHOM    .TrnOF.    MF.F.KEH. 

Brndlcy  B.  Met^ker  wiis  oiw  of  lln>  tirst  Fcdcrnl  Jml^os  in 
MiniU'sotu.Hiul  ill  iSti)  lu'kl  the  firstcourt  in  Hennepin  counly 
in  the  old  government  mill  on  tlie  reservation  (  now  jMinnenp- 
oliH),  jnid  H|)[M)inle(l  l''ninklin  Steele  forenum  of  tlie  fj;nind 
jnry.  He  wiih  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  old  settlers'  associ- 
ation.    Hen<  is  a  letter  fro?"  him  dated 

Terra  Haute,  Nov.  7tli,  IS.")?.  Col.  Stevens  :  Dear  Sir  I 
intench'd  to  havt>  made  you  a  visit  pa.ssing  through  Clearwater 
and  Forest  City  to  Glencoe,  but  pn'ssing  engagements  will 
make  my  absence  necessary.  I  congrntulafo  you  on  your 
election.  Jt  was  a  just  tribute  to  a  worthy,  warm-hearted 
old  pioneer  that  has  done  as  much  to  settle  Hennepin  as  any 
fifteen  men  that  can  be  fouiul  within  her  borders.  Y(.)Uare 
now  in  a  position  to  do  Minnesota  good  service,  and  I  know 
you  well  enough  to  know  that  ycm  will  d«>  all  in  your  power 
to  promote  her  best  interests.  Now  something  has  to  be  done, 
can  be  done,  and  must  be  done,  or  )u)rtliern  Minnesota  will 
be  a  ])auper  country  in  two  years.  1  have  thought  much 
about  the  nuitter,  and  have  at  la.st  fallen  upon  the  following 
relief  measures  : 

In  the  first  i)lace.  I  want  you  to  ])ass  a  law  prohibiting  all 
our  courts  t>f  justice  rendering  any  judgments  for  debts  due 
by  contract  or  judgment  contracted  «>r  n-ndered  out  of  Min- 
nesota for  the  term  of  five  years  from  the  pa.s.sage  of  such  law. 
Now  the  effect  of  such  a  legislative  act  wcmld  b«^  this  :  all  flu* 
embarrassed  men  of  business,  whether  nwinufacturers,  mer- 
chants or  nKM-luinics,  would  wend  their  way  with  their  fami- 
lies and  friends  to  Minnesota  in  the  spring,  where  they  could 
enjoy  legal  repose  from  the  clamors  of  their  creditors  until 
they  had  hail  an  opportiuiity  to  establish  themselves  anew. 
This  step,  so  merciful  in  the.se  days  of  pecuniary  depression 
and  o[)pression,  would  revi\fimmigi*ation  agaiji  to  Minnesota, 
and  fill  it  with  enteri)rist(  and  money.  Your  friend. 
I'liOM  A.  o.  CHArriKl.D. 

Judge  Andrew  O.  Chatfield  was  apj)ointed  associate  ju.stice 
of  the  suprfeme  court  of  Minnesota  in  1853.  His  first  appi^ar- 
ance  in  a  judicial  capacity  in  Hennepin  county  was  at  a  spe- 
cial term  of  court  li«'ld  that  year  in  the  parlors  of  Col.  Stevens' 
house.     From  the  town  he  laid  out  and  named  he  writes  : 


II! 


I' i 


418 


MF.MOItANDA   AM>    I,  I  "rx  I",  I  IS. 


|{»'lle  rh'iii.',  .1(111.  J2tli,  iSdO.  Col.  Stevens  :  Deiir  Sir- ■ 
N\  liilel  .t-HH  in  ]Manka(»»,  n  few  diiVH  a^;»),  ]Mr.  C.  li.  Taylor  of 
Shelbyville  culled  on  nie  and  re«iuesled  nie  to  write  to  some 
member  of  tim  legislature,  in  his  behalf,  wliicli  1  promised  to 
do  ;  and  to  that  eirenmstanee  yon  ninst  charge  llie  trouble 
that  this  letter  will  j^ive  yon. 

Mr.  Taylor  lias  a  little  danj^hter  about  twelve  years  old  who 
is  a  deaf  mute.  He  nays  slie  is  very  brit^ht  and  iutellit^ent. 
and  spoke  with  luuch  feeling  of  his  inability  to  send  her 
abroad  to  be  educated.  Ho  is  j)oor.  Though  the  Btate  is 
deeply  embarrassed,  cannot  some  jjlaii  be  devised  by  which 
the  inci{)ient  or  preparatory  steps  cowards  the  establishment 
of  an  institution  for  the  education  of  deaf  mutes  nuiy  betaken? 
Cannot  a  school,  ev-n  on  a  limited  scale,  bo  opened  V  Such 
an  institution  the  state  must  have,  sooner  or  hiter,  and  this 
one  case  impresses  upon  the  legislature  the  necessity  of  com- 
mencing now,  if  any  plan  can  1)0  devised. 

I  write  to  you  because  I  I'.nowyouare  always  ready  to  list;Mi 
to  a])pea]s  from  the  unfcu'tunate,  and  that  if  there  are  any 
means  of  relief  within  your  reach,  relief  will  be  hud. 
FltOM    MltS.    K.    K.   CHATI'IELD. 

lielle  riaine,  Dec.  1875.-  Col.  Stevens  :  Wy  (h-ar  Sir-  Th«« 
only  light  which  has  dawned  above  the  thick  darkness  which 
has  surrounded  me,  since  my  dear  husband's  death,  has  ema- 
nated from  the  beautiful  tokens  of  respect  and  esteem  whii-li 
his  friends  have  paid  to  liis  memory  ;  and  forenu>st  anumg 
those,  I  place  your  beautiful  tribute  published  in  the  Press. 
From  my  sad  heart  I  thank  you  ;  and  at  this  festival  season 
beg  your  acceptance  of  the  accompanying  photograph,  as  a 
memento  of  your  friend,  and  an  acknowledgment  of  my  grati- 
tude to  you  for  your  fidelity  to  him.     I  am  truly  your  friend. 

JUDGE  ATW.VTKll's   TESTIMONY  A8   TO  THR    HAHD  TIMKS   OF   '57. 

St.  Anthony,  Oct.  81,  1857.  Dear  Colonel  :  I  am  rejoiced 
that  you  are  elected.  With  you  there,  things  will  go  right. 
Such  old  wheel-horses  are  just  what  we  need  in  such  a  iKxly. 

Martin  has  returned  dead  broke.  Instead  of  bringing  out 
more  money,  he  has  been  obliged  to  borrow  money  to  send 
there.  It  is  utterly  impossible  to  collect  a  dollar.  For  my 
own  part  I  have  entirely  suspended.  I  have  between  two  and 
three  thousand  dollars  now  due  on  the  last  ])ayment  on  my 


>nf 


MKMOlt.VNOV    ANI>    LKI'TKItS. 


41!) 


houw,  and  wlipro  it  in  to  voww  from  T  dtni't  know.  I  cHiinot 
^»*t  money  enough  to  buy  provihioim  for  my  family.  You  arc 
a  lucky  dog  if  ycm  luivo  raised  enough  to  eat  to  get  you  through 
tliB  winter.  It  is  l)eeauHe  J  have  been  ho  liurraHHed  about 
niouey  mattera  tluit  I  have  not  been  out  to  wee  you. 

FltOM   II.    T.    WKLLEH. 

Minneapolis,  April  H(»,  18()().  Dear  Colonel  :  I  thank  you 
very  kindly  and  am  grateful  for  the  interest  you  manifest  in 
Mr.  Steele  and  myself  in  th(>  sore  troubles  that  are  now  njjon 
UH.  Both  of  us  would  bo  gliid  to  reciprocate  tliis  feeling  by 
Bomething  more  substantial  than  words. 

No  man  can  be  named  in  this  state  whom  I  should  ))refer 
to  you  for  representative  in  congress.  1  know  all  men  do  not 
want  that  positif^n,  but  then  some  one  must  take  it,  altlu)ugh 
he  does  BO  at  a  t,.»critice.  If  you  can  make  iip  ycmr  mind  to 
run  for  the  nomination,  it  is  my  earnest  desire,  and  will  be 
Steele's,  that  you  should  do  so.     Most  truly  youns. 

February  1st,  IHHl.— Deur  Sir  .  Before  1  left  home,  the 
gentlemen  who  are  cimipiling  a  liistory  of  Hennepin  county 
called  for  my  subscription,  and  for  a  brief  notice.  I  do  not 
know  much  about  the  b(H)k,  but  .so  far  as  any  notice  of  myself 
ia  concerned,  I  propose  to  liave  you  prepare  it.  In  fact  you 
ought  to  have  put  out  the  j)roi>osetl  history  yourself,  and  under 
your  own  name.  No  h*-^  ■'•.■^'•v  can  do  that  work  as  well  as  you 
can.  Better  if  }  «/ii  iiad  been  tlio  father  of  the  whole  of  it. 
You  will  do  me  a  favor  if  you  will  say  what  is  to  be  said  about 
me  exclusively. 

Hennepin  county  owes  as  much  to  you,  if  not  more  than 
to  any  other  man.  You  were  the  corner-stone  on  which  Mr. 
Stet>le's  fortiuie  was  built.  Yon  shaped  the  early  beginnings 
of  what  is  now  the  City  of  Minneai)olis  ;  and  in  any  history  of 
the  county  you  ought  to  luivb  credit  accordingly.     Ever  yours. 

THE  FIRST  AND  MUST  NKEDY  OF  THE  OLD   8ETTLKHS. 

St.  Peter,  Nov.  7th,  1875.  Dear  Col.:  You  will  recollect 
our  old  friend,  John  Bush,  the  old  Indian  farmer  of  Red  Wing, 
and  the  oldest  while  settler  in  Minnesota— so  says  tlie  Atlas. 
As  you  keep  trace  of  all  the  early  ones,  you  are  probably 
aware  that  for  many  years  he  lived  on  the  road  between  here 
and  Fort  Ridgely,  at  Lafayette.  The  Indian  war  ruined  him 
financially,  and  after  living  on  his  place  two  or  three  years 


420 


MKMOliANDA    AND    I.KTTKltS. 


after,  lie  Ixui^lit  ii  liousc  in  tliiK  place,  and  to  assist  n  yoiiiij^ 
man  to  scciin-  his  cri'dittu's,  niortf^afj^ed  his  liousc.  Of  fourse 
this  was  the  last  nMiuiaiit  left  hiiust-lf  and  wife,  and  they  \V(M'u 
left  with  nothinjLC  lu^  too  old  and  sickly  to  work,  and  she 
unable  to  make  more  than  a  hare  living. 

Tliey  removed  to  Ucdwood  in  '70,  to  New  Clm  last  fall,  and 
now  11! ve  hroULjht  up  hen-  aj^ain,  in  very  straijj;htened  cir- 
(•umsfances,  with  nolhinn  to  live  t>n,  and  barely  enough  cloth- 
ing for  this  nnld  weather.  J  hav«'  just  been  to  see  them. 
Of  course  tlie  county  will  do  somethinji^  for  them,  if  called  on, 
but  thcv  will  try  to  get  through  without  this  if  [)ossible  ;  and 
I  write  to  ask  you  if  among  the  old  settlers  and  those  who 
knew  them  bunierly,  y<»u  <-oidd  not  make  up  something  for 
them.     A  little  from  a  few  would  be  a  great  deal  for  them. 

Ihish  is  eighty-s«>ven  yi'ars  old,  niul  luis  always  been  sick. 
His  wife  weighs  about  thiee  huiulrecl  pt)uu«ls,  and  of  course 
flout  gel  about  as  lively  as  a  ericki't  l>y  a  good  deal.  It  is  of 
no  use  to  (piote  scripture  to  you,  but  let  me  know  if  you  think 


it  is  uot  a  got»d  object  for  i-harity. 


B.  H.  Ran'uall, 


AN    KAltl.V    VISi  roll  S    VIKWS    OK    .M INMSOTA. 

August  li,  IS-U).  Mr.  Stevens  :  Krom  what  I  hav(>seen  and 
heard  I  huxe  a  few  gen»'ral  objections  to  this  country.  The 
|)rairies  are  tt)o  large,  timber  too  scarce,  '.vmters  too  long,  aiul 
coiiHeiiueiitly  Hummers  too  short  Vet  it  may  be  tolerably 
gtMxl  to  grow  most  small  grain,  as  oats,  l)arley,  rye  and  wlu'at. 
l)ut  wheat  will  hardly  do  as  well.  The  soil  i.-;  rather  too  sandv, 
hence  drouth  .soon  effects  vegetation.  You  have  doid)l less 
observ(Ml  before  this  timt>  the  enthusiasm  with  which  ]»eople 
in  various  parts  of  Minnesota  Territory  are  engagiii^'' in  the 
various  i'uterprises  ;  nlw  lives  five  years  in  one  now  ;  the  rush 
by  and  by  will  sidtside  ;  and  how  numy  will  be  astonished  : 
many  will  b(>  or  i'lfl  u  litlh*  like  Job's  turkey  that  had  t<i 
lean  against  the  fi'nc»>  to  gobble.  M.  Kias  Kl.KNNI'.ie. 

A  vii:\v  ti:n  vkaiis  afteii  the  H)uk(U)IN(». 

Cold  Spring,  -luly  (ith,  185'.).  Dear  Sir  :  I  t-arnestly  and 
honestly  believe  that  with  your  <"linuite,  and  with  your  peoph', 
nothing  is  impo.-sibh'.  I  see  that  yo\i  are  pushing  yourselves 
far  iuto  the  wilderuesH,  if  that  expression  can  be  used  of  a 
people  who  plant  their  corn  to-day  and  explore  S(mu>  iintrii'(l 
field  to-morrow.     In  the  energy  and  ent»'rprise  (»f  your  peo- 


^r-vi-r-— r-[-  ■ .  w»««'kBh«iK<iiu«n«  >«iiu 


MKM()lt\M>A    AND    T.V.TTKHS. 


421 


'^ 


})le  lies  tlie  fjfoUl  aln^mly  ('((iiu'd.  It  is  tins  (liut  forl)i(ls  iuiy 
limit  1<)  wluit  you  can  Ht'coiupliHli.  You  lau^li  jit  inipoMsihili- 
licH,  and  while  mere  supin(>  nu'ii  are  coiijeetnriiitj  how  a  tliiujn 
is  to  be  done,  ycm  do  it.     1  am  yours  truly.        E.  J.  McGhkk. 

KINI>    WOKDS   J"UOM    AN    OLD   SliTTl.KlI. 

Minneapolis,  Fel>.  1st,  1H5.S.  Dear  Sir  :  We  have  the  In'st 
feelinjj;  existing  between  upper  and  lower  tt>wn.  1  have 
watched  your  course  and  action  in  the  let^islature  this  winter, 
and  am  proud  to  say  that  your  positittns  are  reasonable  and 
just  ^'enerally,  and  no  nuui  in  that  Ixxly  would  I  socmer  trust 
with  important  nu'asnres.     Yours.  Edwaud  AIukphy. 

"LO!"  WHAT  WILI,  HECOMK  OK  III.M  V 
Itasca,  March  Ktth,  lH(i4.  C-ol.  Stevens  :  Haviu}^  a  f^reat 
desire  to  spread  tlu'  j^lories  of  Minni'sota  far  and  wide,  I  lia\»' 
become  a  rej^ular  correspondent  of  the  National  Hejjublican 
at  Washinjjfton.  Permit  me  to  place  your  valuable  corre- 
sp«»ndenee  on  my  list.  Thoui^h  1  nt'ver  nu't  you,  1  claim  you 
as  an  old  ac(|uaiiitance  from  reputation  just  as  a  hawk  claims 
a  chicken.  If  nothiuff  Ix'tter  crosses  your  mind,  y;ive  me  your 
opinion  as  to  the  best  metlxxl  of  ('hristiani/iu;;  and  civili/iiiLC 
the  Sioux  or  any  other  red  men.  Eastern  philanthropists 
are  in  a  j)eck  of  trouble  as  to  the  proper  numner  of  putting 
them  on  the  track  to  kini>;dojn  come  and  letting:  white  folks 
occupy  the  whole  of  the  continent  and  the  (juestion  pops  up 
'•what  will  become  of  the  poor  Indian  V"         (X  H.  Kklln. 

IIA/l,r,WOOD  UKITHI-IC. 
()<mudioo,  ^riniu'sota,  I'ajuta/e  P.  ().,  Nov.  11,  iHjIiO.  Hon. 
tF.  H.  Stevens  :  My  Dear  Sir  I  take  the  advantaj^c  of  my 
slight  personal  accjuaintanee  with  you,  to  make  an  application, 
in  which  1  Hatter  myself  you  will  feel  souk;  interest.  I  refei' 
to  the  i)assa^e  of  such  a  law  as  is  contem))lated  by  the  consti- 
tutiim  in  reference  to  admittinuf  to  the  rights  of  citizenship 
such  Indians  as  nuiy  have  nuide  some  proLjress  in  tlu'  track  of 
«'ivili/,ation.  You  havj'  probably  heard  somethinjjf  <»f  the 
Hazlewood  Republic.  As  an  index  of  the  j)n)j.(ress  nwule  here, 
1  wend  yim  a  copy  of  the  Constitution  of  Minnesota  in  the 
Dakota  lan^ua.ne.  You  are  aware  that  in  ordtu*  to  have  any 
Indians  rais<>d  to  the  status  of  nuMi,  there  must  be  a  law  of  the 
legislature  rej^idatin^;;  the  motle.  I  have  writti'ii  to  (lovernor 
Sibley,  who  will  doubtless  recommoud  the  roquiHitti  legisla- 


m 


ill 


Mi' 


"I- 


II 


I 
i 


1-22 


MKMOIJANDA    AND    LKT'I'KHS. 


tioii.  Mny  we  (l('|x'iul  upon  ynw  to  initiate  and  advocate  such 
!i  measure  in  tlin  Honafe  ?  I  need  ncvt  say  that  1  am  much 
iiit<'rested  in  the  speedy  ])asKH>^e  of  wliatever  act  is  necessary 
in  the  case.  And  I  w».uhl  fondly  liojx' that  the  members  of 
the  h\!^islature  will  nil  be  disiKwed  to  do  what  can  be  dtme  for 
the  advancenu'nt  of  these  "  old  s<4tlers"  of  Minnesota  in  civil- 
ization and  (Miristinnization  ;  and  that  it  will  not  Im*  made  a 
party  (question  at  nil.     Yours  very  truly.  S.  R.  Itioos. 

I'UOI'OSF.n   CAl'ITOT,    ItKMOVAL, 

Ht.  Paul,  A|»ril  IS,  lHo7.  J.  H.  St(>vens,  (llencoe.  Dear  Sir  : 
I  want  your  help  in  the  nuitter  of  locating  the  Capitol  bv  h 
vote  of  the  |)eopl('  (tn  the  IM^  T^cniiisula  in  Lake  MiiUH'tonkn. 
Tlu-  scheme  is  jiretty  well  nixh'r  way.  1  can  ^et  over  four 
thousand  acres  of  land  from  the  settlers  on  the  lake  in  the 
wny  of  donations  to  nid  in  the  project.  W.  V.  Hf'ssKI.l,. 

.IITK^K   (iOODItlCH. 

St.  Paul,  July  4th.  1857.  Dear  Col.:  I  am  not  unmindful 
of  your  kindness  to  m<>  as  a  citizen  nn<l  h'^islato..  I  hope 
that  you  will  never  have  cause  to  refj;ret  those  kind  offices. 
I  siinll  always  strive  to  continue  the  friendly  relaticms  that 
exist  between  us.  We  have  jj;enerally  taken  better  care  of 
the  interests  of  others  than  of  our  (»wn.  All  that  you  and  I 
need  to  nuike  us  popular  men,  is  ample  fortune.  That  I  shall 
never  luive,  so  1  nu^ke  no  calculations  upon  beinj^  a  j^reat  uum 
either  in  my  own  estinuition   »m"  that   of  anv  (me  else.      1  nui 


vour 


frienr 


Aauon  (iooDitrcn. 


<»N   rol.ONFl,   HF.NKtN. 


St.  Paul,  April  liOth.  IHoH.  -  Dear  Col.:  Y(m  speak  of  that 
threat  man,  ('olonel  JJenton.  Yes,  he  is  dead.  \\ C  have  no 
other  Penton  to  die.  It  is  no  ordinary  ^rief  that  cai.  or 
should  express  the  tuition's  sorrow.  He  has  fj;one  (h)wn  to 
history  with  a  more  endurint^  I)au<'  thnn  any  nuin  in  our 
country's  history.  Extracts  from  his  speeciies,  and  his  thirty 
years  in  tlie  senat(\  will  be  read  as  lontc  as  the  lan^;uaj^(»  shall 
eu<lure.  Well  nuiy  he  exclaim,  "  What  is  a  seat  in  congress 
to  nu' '?  I  who  have  sat  for  thirty  years  in  tin*  hij4;hest  bran<'h 
of  the  national  eouneils."  Jbit  enoui,di.  I  have  ne\er  expe- 
rienced feelings  of  envy  for  f.jreat  m«>n.  1  think  1  can  lionor 
all.     I  wish  I  was  the  onlv  sinall  man   in  the  huid  ;  I  could 


€ 

'e:: 
t 


I 


then  leave.     P»ut  I  must  close, 


Aakdn  (Joodhu'H. 


I 


I 

it' 


MEMOHAXDA   AND    LETTERS. 


423 


'*■■ 


THE   HUTCH I>fHONS. 

Hutchinson,  IVIinn.,  Feb.  28,  1K7»).  Col.  J.  H.  StovenH  : 
Dear  friend  find  l)r<)tlit»r  Knowing  your  lovo  for  muHic,  and 
your  willingneKH  to  nid  every  ^ood  word  (song)  and  work,  in 
])eh}df  of  the  niUHical  fruti^niity  I  have  this  first  and  oidy 
favor  to  ask  through  you  of  the  legislature  of  our  adopted 
state,  vi/  :  that  before  the  close  of  the  present  session  \<>u 
will  form  nnd  pass  a  bill  in  th«»  interest  of  free  singing,  as 
well  as  free  speaking,  granting  to  any  jwrson  or  persons  tiie 
right  to  hold  public  concerts  of  music  anywhere  in  the  state 
without  license  or  penalty.  The  present  infanious  license  is 
fre(pu'ntly  peri)etrated  in  our  own  adopted  state  upon  those 
messengers  of  peace  and  good-will,  tiie  musicians,  hindering 
their  usefulness  in  disseminating  a  higher  civilization  through 
the  divine  medium  of  song.  Aha  B.  Hutchinson. 

Hutchinson,  July  8,  18HH.— Col.  J.  H.  Stevens  :  iMy  good 
old  friend  I  was  miu'h  pleased  to  receive  a  word  from  you, 
and  it  set  me  thinking  of  the  past  when,  thirty-one  years  ago. 
we  first  came  u|)  the  river  to  St.  Paul  to  see  the  country,  and 
give  our  concerts  On  one  occasion  in  the  corridor  of  the 
church  we  nu>t  two  enthusiastic  men  who  besought  us  to  come 
to  St.  Anthony  and  Minneapolis.  \V«>  kept  our  proini.se  and 
were  entertained  at  the  cottage  under  the  hill  near  the  bridge, 
and  met  other  goJMl  friends,  and  were  treated  to  nnlk  and 
lumoy.  Then  the  getting  away  to  the  Fort  for  supplies  for 
the  journey  through  tin*  big  woods  to  the  grand  {)rairie  ;  the 
impnmiptu  concert  at  Shakopee  ;  the  camping  in  the  woods 
en  route  to  Glenct)e  ;  the  foraging  ain(»ng  the  Dutch  settlers; 
the  Widconm  reception  by  IJidl  A'  Chapman  ;  the  social  gath- 
«'ring  and  songs  at  the  little  hotel  ;  the  tour  «n-er  the  prairie 
to  the  valley  of  the  Hassan  ;  tiie  campHre.s,  the  game,  the 
•Johnsons,  Pendergasts,  Messers,  and  Harringtons,  all  sleep- 
ing by  the  blazing;  log  fire,  and  the  mercury  falling  ;  the 
early  risers  with  axes,  chopping  for  the  morning  meal  ;  the 
prosjxH'tors,  returning  in  the  evening  delighted  with  the  lay 
of  the  land  and  ric!»ness  of  the  soil  ;  the  farewell,  and  ride 
tlown  the  river.  My  dear  brotluM-s  are  nov,  all  sleeping  th«'iv 
last  sleep,  having  proved  all  things  earthly  full  of  vanity  and 
vexation,  (ilad.  dear  man,  you  survive  the  wreck,  and  still 
can  hold  the  pen.  John  W.  Hi'tchinhon. 


:iT!, 
l 


* 


424 


.MK.MOlf ANDA    AND    J.KI  TF.liS. 


( V)l()nel  Stevens  and  Jardb  Sclmefer  were  socially  nnd  finan- 
cially intimate  as  early  as  IH-Ii),  when  the  former  cunic  to  Min- 
nesota, and  the  lattei-  went  to  Calilornia.  Tlieir  Mives  with 
sisters.  Jiater  31  r.  Scliael'er  was  well  known  in  Hennepin 
connty,  as  auditor,  coniinissioner,  ami  busini'SH  man.  He  was 
horn  in  Baerntli,  near  Straslmrtf,  then  France,  now  Germany, 
at  whit'h  last-named  place  he  was  educated,  and  tlien  came  to 
the  I'nitedSiates.  He  wasl'ouranda  hall"  montlis  (»n  the  way 
overland  to  California,  where  hetpiickly  won  and  lost  a  fortune, 
and  then  made  his  way  to  Central  America,  l)einj5  taken  ill  with 
yellow  fever  ou  the  route.  He  lay  unccmsciouH,  w  ith  several 
other  ])atientB,  in  an  illy-ventilated  room,  and  ihe  doctor  said 
he  wt)ulddie.  Two  friendly  st'a-captains  had  iiint  removed  to 
airy  (piarters,  and  he  recovered,  to  the  surprise  of  tln<  doctor, 
<lisappointmeut  of  the  undertaker,  and  delight  of  his  seafarinj4' 
friends.  He  took  a  look  at  the  cofHn  [)rovitU'd  for  him,  and 
though  it  was  of  heautifnl  redwoinl,  he  dei -lined  its  nse,  in  favor 
of  sonu'body  set-nun^ly  less  fortunate,  and  proceeded  on  tiis 
way,  l)m)yant  with  latpe.  andciairageous  to  work.  (M)ing](ome 
to  the  United  States,  ln'  was  shipwrecked  on  the  way. 

Mrs.  Schaefer  returm-d  with  him  to  his  silver-minuig  camp 
in  Hcmduras,  and  for  <i\e*»r  six  years  was  the  i>n!y  wliite  woman 
I  here,  a  wonder  to  the  dusky  natives.  Their  daughter  Franc  isca, 
now  wife  of  \V.  ().  Winston,  of  Winston  JJrothers,  «)f  Minne- 
apolis, W!is  born  at  Yuscuran.  The  Catholic  nativi's  .icconi- 
|)lish<>d  by  strategy  what  they  could  not  with  consent  of  j)arentB, 
and  1h(*  little  white  native  of  the  tropics  was  bai)tised  in  their 
church,  near  the  mining  town  of  i)ej)ilto.  Coming  Nurthfrom 
that  country  of  tropical  scenery,  fruits,  and  tlowers,  where 
1 1 1 « 're  were  la  >  w  1  leeleil  vehicles,  anil  all  conveyance  wim  on  n\ u le- 
back,  the  little  Central  American  brought  with  her  a  young  pet 
tiger,  a'ld  a  bird  of  rare  plumage  ;  but  was  nevertheli'ss  home- 
sick to  l"etui*n,  ])referring  Spanish  as  more  pleasing  to  her  ear, 
and  mon)  yielding  to  her  tongue. 

Mr.  Schaefer  was  of  a  biustjue  cheerfulness,  that  was  like  a 
tonic  to  those  with  whom  lie  came  in  contact.  He  was  fxmd 
of  <'hil<lren,and  was  their  popular  friend.  Hniing  (he  late  war 
Ik*  was  regimental,  then  brigade (luartcrmaster,  and  Mas  called 
to  the  stair  of  a  division  (piarteriauKter.  H*'  exiK'riem'ed  finan- 
cial reverses  from  tire,  tl or mI,  and  shipwreck  ;  but  was  honored 


'^* 


MKMOKWDA    AM)    LKTIKHS. 


42r 


i 


with  military  .'mil  civil  offices ;  and  i)losse<l  with  friends.  A 
ehiirm.'teristic!  letter  is  ;^iveii  from 

Truxilo,  N«>vemi)er  2S,  IS55.  As  you  wero  somewhat  uno'isy 
aliout  our  safe  arrival  here,  I  must  inform  you  that  Suiulav  lust, 
the  *2oth  instant,  we  lauded  safe,  aft«'r  a  very  pleasant  voyage 
of  oidy  sixteen  days,  at  this  sea  hoard  town  in  Honduras.  Our 
(■ai>taiu  was  a  Ljeiitleuuiii,  and  we  had  a  j^ood  cv.-w.  Mrs.  S. 
waH  sick  for  tive  days,  after  which  she  was  al)le  to  hon\  \hv 
captain  at  chess  almost  every  day.  We  have  excellent  health, 
and  are  in  first-rate  <|mirters,  with  an  Enjjflislunan  who  has  a 
plen.sant  house  and  sets  a  tine  tahle,  with  fruits  and  wines. 

My  machinery,  trunks,  and  j^ootl.s,  are  already  on  their  way 
t,<»  the  interior.  ^Ve  shall  leave  the  8()th  with  <mr  stM'vant. 
We  havo  native  visitor  every  evening.  Mrs.  Hchaefer  is  the 
tirst  American  lady  whoever  traveletl  into  the  interior.  This 
eveiuu!.^  we  t(M)k  a  walk.  A  boy  canie  running  after,  and  pre- 
sented a  rose,  saying  his  motiier  sent  it  to  the  huly.  Flowers 
in  the  gardens  this  2St)i  of  November  !  We  visited  a  Carib 
village  near  this  place.  They  are  a  black  race,  strong  and 
well  Ituilt.  Kach  man  has  as  many  wives  as  lu;  can  l)uild  huts 
for.  Each  M'ife  must  have  her  own  dwelling.  The  nuui 
<'lears  a  piece  of  ground  for  her,  which  she  nnist  cultivate  as 
long  UH  ho  is  with  her.  Heg»)esa  fishing,  and  for  a  few  months 
each  year  cuts  mahogany.  Happy  ra<"e  !  We  entered  several 
of  the  houses.  In  one  of  them  we  found  a  yfuing  woman 
who  was  very  happy.  Sh<>  said  slu'  had  been  very  busy  all 
tlay,  and  was  going  to  L»e  married  to-morrow. 

We  expect  to  b«'  in  Yuscaran  by  the  ISth  of  Decembt.'r. 
The  revoluti(m  is  ended.  1  hope  it  will  not  revixe  until  the 
Yankees  occupy  the   land.     Then  the  country  will   improve. 


and  it  will  J)e  the  L!;''»i'den  of  the  world. 


J.    ScHAKII'.li 


Col.  Stevens  -Dear  Sir:  Me  that  doetli  well  ought  to  be 
t'omniendinl,  and  1  feel  privileged  to  say,  that  in  the  h'gisla- 
tnro  your  willingness  to  undertake,  and  efficiency  in  carrying 
through  what  you  did  undertake,  whether  for  constituencies 
you  immediately  represent,  or  those  more  remote,  make  you  a 
model  legishitor.  You  have  done  the  whole  state  a  great  ser- 
vice in  jn'ocuring  the  (>stablishment  of  an  institution  that  will 
beahisting  honor  an<l  glory  to  our  comnu)nwealth.  Your 
obliged  follow-<-itizen.  T.  Ej.wi:i,i.. 


!■ 


I 


420 


MKMOItANDA   AM)    J.KITKltH. 


FROM   MAUTIN    M(XEOI). 

Oak  drove,  Mnrcli  11,  1852. 

Denr  Sir  :  Before  1  take  up  my  weary  way  to  resume  the 
tihackles  of  bondage  imposed  upon  me  by  tlu^  most  trying  i>f 
nil  callingB,  the  Indian  trade,  I  will  drop  you  a  line.  Mr. 
Pond  WJ18  here  tluB  morning,  and  said  that  he  thought  Mrs. 
P.  would  not  recover,  but  linger  on,  perhaps  f«)r  some  months 
yet.  She  is  wearing  away  from  this  frail  abode,  to  the  (juiet 
repose  of  a  future  and  better  hope,  than  aught  of  earth. 
Happy  those  who  are  prepared  for  the  change. 

Granby,  C.  E.,  April  25,  1854.- Dear  Sir:  After  twenty 
years  absence  from  ones  native  land  it  is  no  easy  matter  to 
gci  away  to  return  to  that  of  our  jul  )ption.  I  have  been  stay- 
ing here  for  some  time  with  the  dearest  of  my  brothers,  Kev. 
Nornuui  McLeod,  and  will  ijuit  his  most  agreeable  and  in- 
structive society  with  deep  regret.  He  is  highly  esteemed  in 
the  region  round  about,  and  has  been  of  much  usefulness. 
You  would  like  him.  I  hope  we  will  have  him  one  of  these 
days,  with  us  in  Minnesota.  He  is  anxious  to  go  west.  In- 
deed every  one  is.  Westward  the  star  of  empire  holds  its 
unwavering  coui"se.  Miiniesota  has  incalculably  advanced  in 
my  estimation  since  I  started  on  my  journey.  Having  seen 
such  an  extent  of  country  in  the  United  States  and  botli  the 
Caiuulns,  so  far  inferior  in  every  resjject  to  our  Territory,  I 
am  iu)w  without  a  ray  of  doubt,  sanguine  thatt  it  will  very 
soon  be  settleil,  and  well  settled,  with  an  industrious,  thriving 
and  happy  population.  There  is  no  place  I  have  seen  since  I 
left  I  prefer  1o  Minnesota-  none  thftt  I  like  so  well. 

Oak  Grove,  Hennei)in  ctmnty,  Jan.  20,  1857.  Dear  Col.: 
AVhat  about  that  draft  for  the  University  V  We  can  get  the 
charter  through  without  difficulty,  I  think,  but  the  question 
is  about  the  grant  to  endow  it.  You  will  have  perhaps  seen 
by  the  papers  that  Rice  has  introduced  a  bill  providing  for 
state  organization,  making  a  north  and  south  line.  I  do  not 
know  what  your  views  are  as  to  the  lK)undarie8  ;  mine  are  for 
the  uorth  and  south  line.  1  know  the  west,  and  the  utter 
worthlessness  of  a  great  p<irtion  of  it  toward  the  Missouri. 
I  also  know  and  have  traveled  in  the  Lake  Superior  region 
in  many  directions.  We  want  the  minerals,  pines,  fisheries, 
and  the  outlet  by  the  great  inland  sea.     We  do  not  want  the 


[ 


MEMOltANDA   AND   LETTEHH. 


427 


muddy  and  turbulent  MisKouri,  with  its  still  more  dfirk  and 
turbulent  tribes,  its  gravelly  liill.H,  its  sterile  prairies  without 
a  tree,  "its  deserts  vast  and  idh>".  For  all  these  reasons,  and 
more,  I  am  now,  and  always  have  been,  for  the  north  and 
south  line,  which  will  nuike  Minnes«)ta  a  niay;niti('«^nt  state 
with  ^reat  and  diversified  resources,  leadinj^  to  Ixmndless 
wealth,  and  all  the  mij^hty  results  which  follow  in  its  train, 
and  the  interminable  blessing  also,  when  properly  appli.'d, 
as  let  us  hoj)e  they  will  be  in  the  brighter  and  wiser  future. 
We  Ix'lonvc  to  the  past,  but  let  \is  embrace  our  little  share, 
j)ro8pectively. 

I  most  heartily  afj^ree  with  you  as  rej^ards  keepinjj;  some 
mementos  of  the  pO(n'  disappearing  ai)ori}^inees.  but  also 
have  to  thank  ycm  for  your  com  plinuMit  to  my  individual  name. 
I  am  fully  impressed  with  all  that  appertains  to  the  future  of 
Glencee.  The  Creator  has  done  his  great  ))art.,  but  there  is 
always  something  left  for  nuni  to  do. 

April  4,  185H.— The  projmsed  c(mietery  is  too  near  (ih^ncot'. 
What  is  needed  of  a  ten  acre  c(>m»'t^ry,  which  would  be  large 
enough  for  a  ])lace  of  burial — a  Necropolis  for  a  city  of  half 
a  million  of  inhabitjints.  Why,  ten  acres  would  Ix^  large 
enough  for  the  whole  county,  for  generations  yet  unborn, 
with  room  and  verge  enoiigh  for  all  the  ghosts  and  ghostesses 
in  the  Northwest  to  jiace  their  weary  nninds,  al)ove  ground 
by  the  pale  light  of  the  moon,  or  the  tiickering  glare  of  the 
aurora  boraelis.  And  the  day,  the  barberous  age,  of  burying 
the  dead  at  our  doors,  is  past.  Surely  this  insane  relic  of 
anti-sanity  will  not  be  resuscitated  at  (Jlencoe. 

July  23,  IH;")*.). — I  regret  to  see  in  the  New  ^'ork  Herald  that 
poor  Judson  Hutchinson  has,  in  a  state  of  metital  derange- 
nu'ut,  hung  himself  at  Lynn,  Massachusetts,  his  resitlt»nce. 
AVhat  a  ixuir,  uncertain,  probati(mary  state,  this  life  is,  at 
best,  but  ah !  how  miserable  when  the  end  is  so  gloomy  and 
deplorable. 

Be  fearless  for  the  j)eople  in  your  Register.  It  is  a  sacred 
duty  you  owe  to  your  adopted  c<mntry  as  a  man  and  a  jcnir- 
nalist.  It  matters  not  whose*  tm^s  yim  may  tread  u|M)n.  It  is 
only  n>gues,  not  honest  men,  who  will  fear  y«»u,  and  that  is 
the  proudest  position  any  paper  or  public  exinment  can 
attain  to.  Mahtin  McLeod. 


;m: 


•128 


MEMOIIANDA    AND    1,1 .1'lKltS. 


DEATH    OF    MAUTFN    M'JLEOD  -    LETTKIt    I'ltOM    \V,M.    S.    (HAI'MAN. 

MiiinrnpoliK,  Nov.  'ill,  IHfiO.  Dear  Colonel:  1  Iwivr  just 
roturiHHl  from  pMyiii^  tli(!  last  trihiitr  of  respect  to  Hon.  Mar- 
tin McLeod.  He  waH  at  my  lionse  tlie  day  J  wroti^  you  last, 
took  dinner  with  me,  was  unusually  jovial,  and  spoke  of  his 
exei'llent  lu'ttlth.  He  asked  me  to  rent  a  liouso  iu're  for  him, 
and  said  he\V(nd<l  orinj^  his  family  here  and  send  his  children 
to  school  this  winter.  He  went  honu'  to  Oak  Grove  late  in 
tin'  eveninj^,  attended  church  the  next  day,  and  in  the  evening 
was  taken  (juite  unwell.  Wednesday  lu^  vvrot«^  in  for  medi- 
cine, which  I  sent  him.  The  next  day  Dr.  Boutillier  visited 
him,  aiul  thouy:ht  lu'  would  be  l)e1t«>r  in  a  <hiy  or  two.  He 
f^rew  worse,  and  I  sent  Dr.  Anderson  out.  Hv  was  deranged, 
and  talked  incessantly.  He  told  Mr.  Pond,  who  called  the 
(hiy  he  died,  that  he  was  too  young  a  man  to  die,  and  that  he 
put  his  trust  in  the  Havior.  He  died  Tu(>sday.  INIr.  Tond 
[)reHchod  th»'  sermon.  W.  S.  Chatman. 

HEMINIHCENT. 

Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  July  .')th,  1H77. 
Old  in  our  friendship,  and  growing  old  in  years,  what  vital 
changes  have  taken  j)lace  since  we  discussed  tlie  agricultural 
possibilities  of  Minnesota,  twenty-seven  years  ago,  sitting  on 
the  hank  of  the  Mississippi  ahovt^  the  JmiII.s,  or  wandenng 
from  your  little  claim-house  across  the  virgin  prairi(Mvhich  is 
now  adorned  by  streets,  housj's,  and  mills,  of  this  wondei-ful 
i'ity  of  MinneHpolis.  Enthusiastic  and  imaginativt^  as  we 
were,  the  focts  accomplished  have  outrun  all  prophecy  and 
hope.  jMid  our  state  to-day  lends  in  the  production  of  man's 
tirst  necessity,  bread.  What  are  the  changes  for  the  next 
twenty-seven  years  ?  Who  can  tell  V  Yon  and  1  may  not  be 
here  to  know;  but  let  U8  do  our  earnest  ])art  in  the  right 
directi(tn  for  the  glory  of  the  present,  and  th(^  benefit  of.  the 
future.     Yourfiiend.  Wm.  (i.  LeDuc. 

COMINO    TO  THE  POINT — AND  TO  MINNESOTA. 

Salem,  Ohio,  'M  Mcmth,  lltli,  1852.— Dear  Friend  :  1  have 
very  often  thought  of  you  with  feelings  of  near  atfecti(»n, 
strangers  though  we  are  to  each  other,  and  have  often  been 
led  to  sympathize  with  you,  in  y(mr  isolated  situatitm  ;  ant  I 
yet  in  vi(>w  of  the  difficulties  in  our  once  peaceful  Society, 
perhaps   it  would   be  more  appropriate  to  rejoice  on  your 


MEMORANDA  AND   LETTERS. 


429 


,  I 


account,  that  in  respect  to  tliesc  things  you  are  not  na  wo  are, 
"Tossed  with  a  tempest  and  not  (•omf()rted."  There  is  no 
doubt  in  my  mind  that  there  is  a  disposition  in  many  to  give 
encouragement,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  to  views  approx- 
imating more  nearly  to  the  doctrines  of  other  professors  of 
the  Christian  name,  than  those  of  our  early  friends  did  ;  but 
there  are  many  who  feel  bound  to  "  contend  earnestly  for  the 
faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints."  In  all  our  travels  we  saw 
no  place  we  liked  so  well  as  Minnesota,  and  I  believe  if  it 
should  prove  to  be  adapted  to  Agricultural  pursuits  there  are 
several  families  of  friends  in  the  neighborhood  that  will  turn 
their  steps  thitherward  ere  long,  perhaps  myself  and  family 
among  the  rest.  Hoping  to  hear  from  thee  soon,  1  conclude 
with  much  love  to  thee  and  thine.     Joseph  Brantingham. 

Amasa  Cobb,  once  a  messmate  of  Colonel  Stevens  in  the 
lead  mines  at  Galena,  Illinois,  and  afterwards  a  general  in  the 
army,  now  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Nebraska, 
recently  visited  his  old  friend  in  Minneapolis,  and  heralded 
in  a  pleasant  way  his  coming  by  a  letter  dated — 

State  of  Nebraska,  Supreme  Coiirt,  Lincoln,  July  11,  1888. 
My  dear  old  Friend  and  Compatriot :  I  am  making  calcula- 
tions to  invade  your  city  the  last  of  next  week  or  tl»o  week 
following.  The  ostensible  object  of  this  movement  is  to  take 
my  wife  to  visit  her  brother.  Dr.  Moffet,  of  Minneapolis,  but 
my  real  purpose  in  making  the  campaign,  is  that  I  may  have 
another  meeting  with  you,  before  one  of  us  is  musteretl  out 
I  write  this  to  inquire  whether  you  will  probably  be  in  the 
city  at  or  about  the  time  above  indicated.  As  the  follow 
said  when  his  lawyer  advised  him  to  run  away  from  Texas, 
"  I  don't  know  where  you  would  go  to"  from  cool  Minnesota 
such  weather  as  this  ;  and  still  Minnesota  is  a  largtj  state,  I 
am  advised,  and  I  might  not  be  able  to  Hud  you  among  the 
lakes  and  cool  recesses  without  informaticm  or  a  guide. 
Your  old  friend.  Amaha  Coud. 

St.  Paul,  Sept.  28,  1849.-  Mr.  Steele's  ferry  bill  was  up  in 
the  Council  yesterday,  and  they  have  made  the  most  complete 
humbug  of  it  you  can  imagiiMt  The  time  is  reduced  to  five 
years.  Foot  passengers  pay  six  and-a-fourth  cents,  the  rest 
in  proportion,  and  he  is  bound  in  $1,000  to  keep  his  ferry 
open  day  and  night,  &c.  Joseph  R.  Brown. 


!|i 


w 


I 


4;}() 


MKMOltANDA    AND    LETTKHS. 


AN   ELKCTION   IN   YE  OLDEN   TYME. 

October  7th,  1852.  I  wrote  you  n  jiolr  two  (lays  since 
inforiniiij^  you  and  our  frioiidH  tliat  the  people  at  Little  Crow's 
vilhige  had  lield  a  meeting  and  nominated  J.  W .  Jirown  of 
I-\ikota  county  for  their  representative,  Mr.  Robertnon  and 
Mr.  Cook  b»)th  having  refused  to  run.  Mr.  lirown  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Metliodist  church  in  good  standing,  and  a  good 
Whig,  and  will  support  tlie  Peo^ile's  ticket,  and  1  hope  all 
good  citizens  will  support  him. 

I  would  like  to  get  my  house  at  Little  Falls  insured  for 
about  SH50,  but  wish  to  know  your  rates  of  percentage  before 
I  conclude  to  do  so.  P.   PuEscoTT. 

Executive  Department,  Idaho  Territory,  Boise  City,  June 
21,  1878. — My  dear  Friend  :  Like  a  pleasant  echo  from  the 
chamber  of  pleasant  memories,  comes  your  very  kind  letter 
of  the  10th,  Vf'ry  happy  am  I  to  hear  from  you.  I  have 
thoxight  of  you  a  thousand  times — wondi'r(>d  if  you  still  lived, 
and  where  V  whether  you  still  thought  of  me  V  whether  wo 
should  meet  again  V  and  often  thought  of  writing  to  you. 
For  of  the  many  good  and  true  men  it  has  been  my  fortune 
to  know,  you  hold  a  sacred  place.  M.  Brayman. 

Minneapolis,  March  17th,  1855. — I  beg  leave  to  resign  the 
position  to  which  your  kindness  called  me,  that  of  Teacher  of 
the  Public  School  of  Minneajjolis,  The  reason  which  induces 
me  to  this  step  is  the  perplexities  surrounding  us  pertaining 
to  the  entry  of  homes  at  the  Land  Office,  which  will  necessa- 
rily draw  much  upon  our  time  and  attention.  I  thank  you 
for  the  uniform  kindness  and  attention  you  have  shown  me 
since  my  service  under  your  direction.         CllAliLES  HoAO. 

Pi'inceton  Mills,  Preston  county,  Virginia. — Brother  and 
friend  Permit  me  thus  to  address  you,  for  so  I  esteem  all 
who  work  upon  the  square.  News  from  Minnesota  is  like 
good  news  from  a  far  country.  I  now  fe(>l  interested  more  in 
that  far-off  territory  than  in  the  old  tobacco  fields  of  Virginia. 
I  will  resign  the  office  of  surveyor  and  take  my  little  family 
to  Minnesota  in  the  spring.  I  would  rather  live  in  snow  a 
foot  deep  than  in  this  rainy  climate  in  the  winter.  Could  I 
sell  a  few  dozen  first-rate  rifles,  also  a  few  hundred  good 
chopping  axes  ?  and  I  think  of  taking  out  a  ])air  of  good 
horses  and  a  buggy.     Give  me  your  opini(Ui.      A.  J.  Bell. 


MEMOllANDA   AND   LETTEH8. 


4;n 


Washington,  F«'l).  14,  1807.— I  have  been  hero  about  ten 
<luyH,  and  have  duni>  but  little  towardu  nuiking  a  treaty  with 
the  IndiuuH.  There  are  a  dozen  or  more  delegations  of 
Indians  here  from  different  parts  of  the  country,  all  pressing 
their  claims  for  precedence  at  the  de])artnient.  Congress  is 
growing  more  radical  ev«>ry  day.  Even  lleverdy  Johnson  is 
in  favor  of  the  constitutional  auunulmeut  and  negro  suffrage. 
So  you  see  the  i)olitical  world  moves.  I  am  satisfied  the  next 
congress  will  insist  on  universal  suffrage.       .1.  B.  Bassktt. 

AN    INFANT   I'lGNEEIl      AN   OLD   HETTLEK. 

A  grand  woman  of  this  ('cntury,  identified  with  the  history  of 
Minnesota,  is  living  in  Minneapolis,  at  the  age  of  "three  score 
years  and  ten."  Of  romantic  birth,  she  was  here  in  infancy 
and  during  early  childhood,  when  Minnehaha,  and  the  Falls  of 
St.  Anthony,  were  in  their  natural  glory  ;  and  she  sawthem  with 
fresh  young  eyes  undimmed  to  their  beauty  and  grandeur. 
She  was  here  with  her  parents  when  Fort  Hnelling  was  Camp 
Coldwater.  Outside  the  Fort,  the  nearest  neighbors  were  three 
hundred  miles  away,  and  the  mail  was  received  only  once  in  six 
months.  She  witnessed  the  ai-rival  of  the  first  steaml)oat  at 
the  Fort.  The  Dakota  language  was  familiar  to  her.  She  has 
been  intimately  acquainted  with  our  great  statesmen,  brave 
generals, grand  philanthropists,  and  identified  with  the  nation's 
j)rogress  and  glory.  The  infant  pioneer  of  1H19  is  in  1881)  (me 
of  the  oldest  settlers.  Incidents  of  ln>r  life  ai-e  autobiagraph- 
ically  told  by  Charlotte  Ouisconsin  Van  Cleve,  wife  of  Major- 
General  Horatio  P.  Van  Cleve,  and  are  of  great  interest. 


The  Two  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the  Di.scovery  of  the 
Falls  of  Saint  Anthony  was  celebrated  by  the  Minnesota  His- 
torical Society,  at  the  University  Compus,  Minneapolis,  Min- 
nesota, on  the  third  day  of  July,  eighteen  luuulred  and  eighty. 
Articles  were  requested  to  be  prepared  for  a  Memorial  Volume 
on  the  Life  of  Hennepin  and  Establishment  of  Catholic  Mis- 
sions, by  Jiishop  John  Ireland  ;  Indian  Trade,  by  Hon.  H.  M. 
Rice;  Military  Occupation,  by  T.  V.  D.  Heard,  Esq.;  Protes- 
tant Missions,  by  Rev.  S.  R.  Riggs,  D.  D. ;  Education,  by  Rev. 
E.  D.  Neill  ;  Civil  Govenmient,  by  Gen.  H.  H.  Sibley  ;  Our 
Commercial  Interests,  by  Capt.  R.  Blakely  ;  Agriculture,  by 
Col.  J.  H.  Stevens  ;  Early  French  Explorers,  by  J.  E.  Ferte. 


^■1 

'if; 


iii 


i:;2 


(•||ltnN()i,()<i|(AI,. 


KWO.  ]u  S('|»t»inl)fr.  l)nl<tit)i  iiiid  Kfi)ii('|)iii  wcrr  iit  the 
FuUh  of  St>  Antlioiiy. 

17(M).      l,fSucnr  iisct'tids  tlif  Miiiiifsota  ItivtT. 

17(t<».  Jniiiitlifiii  ('arvfr,  on  Novt'iiilnM'  17lli,  iniclms  i\n- 
VixWh  of  St.  Aiitliuiiy. 

IHIT.  Major  Stt'plifii  I.oiii;.  I.  S.  A.,  visits  t  lie  l-'alls  of 
St.  Aiitlioii.v. 

lHl\).  ("iiloiu'l  lifa\<'iiwoilli  airivfs  on  tlif  24lli  of  Auf^Mist. 
with  troopH,  at  Mcndola. 

1H20.  Laidlow,  KUprrintrmlrnt  of  farming  foi"  F.'irl  Sel- 
kirk, pasHcH  fnan  lVinl)ina  to  Praiiic  <tn  Cliicn,  to  pnichaHf 
Heed  wheat.  I'pon  the  lilth  t)i  April  h'ft  I'rairii'  (hi  ("liii'ii 
with  Mackinaw  boats  and  ascended  tho  IMinnesota  to  BijLj 
Stone  iiake,  whern  tliu  boats  were  phiced  on  roUers  and 
draj^^^cd  H  short  distance  to  Lako  Traverse,  and  on  the  3d  of 
June  iH'/icl\ed  Pi'niliina.  On  tho  fith  of  May,  t'ol.  Jicaven- 
worth  estalilished  snnirner  (piarti-rs  at  Camp  t'oldwaler,  Hen- 
nepin county.  In  -July,  (lovernor  Cass,  of  Michij^an,  visits 
th<' camp.  In  .\ii;;'usl,  Col.  Snelliny;  succeeds  Leavenwortli. 
Siipt  '^D,  corner —lone  hud  untler  conunand  of  (\>1.  SnelHnij;. 
First  wliitu  inarriaLto  fn  iMinnesota,  Jwieutenant  Green  to  a 
daULchler  of  Captain  (nxidin^'. 

IH'21.  h'ort  St.  .\nthoii\  was  suflicientiy  completed  to  be 
occupied  i)y  troops.  Mill  at  St.  Anthony  Falls  constructed 
for  tlio  iiso  of  ^arris(Mi,  under  su|)ervision  of  Jiieut.  MciJabe. 

lH'2;i.  Tilt*  iii>t  steamboat,  the  VirLjiuia,  on  May  lOfh, 
arrived  at  the  niiMi'h  of  the  Minnesota  river. 

|S24.  (Miieral  Winfield  Scott  inspect.''  l-'ortSt.  Anthony,  and 
lit  his  Hii.L;j.(cslit)n  the  War  Department  chauj^eil  the  numo  to 
F'ort  Suellinj.f. 

iS'iti.  January  "itJth,  tirst  nuiil  in  the  nu)ntl.K  roeeived  ai 
the  Fort.     A|)ril  nth,  sntnv-storm  with  flashes  of  lif^htnin^;. 


bH'2'.).     ^lajor  Taliaferro,  Indian  auenf,  establishes 


'<K« 


farn 


for  the  benefit  of  thu  Jndians  at  Jiake  CMlhonn. 

.lSIt;{,  l{cv.  AV.  'V.  JJoutwell  establishes  a  mission  school 
for  Ojibways  at  Leech  Lako. 

J.S.'M,  In  May,  Samuel  W.  and  (rideon  M.  Pond  arrive  at 
Lake  Calhoun  as  nu-^sionaries  amonj.?  the  Sioux.  Noveinbor, 
Henry  H.  Sibley  arrives  at  Abndota  as  a)j;ent  of  I'ur  Company. 
In  June,  I'resbyuuian  C'hureh  at  Fort  Snelling  ory;ani/ed. 


KIND  WORDS  OF  COMMENDATION  OF  THE  WORK. 

Dated  at  the  Rooihh  of  tho  Minnesota  Historical  Society, 

St.  Paul,  Nov.  i:i,  IHH\). 
My  dear  Colonel  Stevens  :  I  have  n-ad  the  proof-Hhoets  of 
your  Reminiseenees  'vith  groat  intorcst.  It  contains  a  largo 
mass  of  valuable  tin'i-i  roganling  the  pioneer  history  of  Min- 
nesota, and  about  our  y.^(\  Hcitlers,  wliich  have  nover  been 
phu'cd  in  jirint  b(»fore,  a.id  ev«'ryol<l  wttlrr  will  read  the 
work  with  gratification  and  interest.  It  will  prove?  a  valuai)lo 
addition  t«)  our  materials  for  Minne.sota  history,  more  espe- 
cially so  if  a  good  index  is  ad(h>d  to  it.      Yours  truly. 

J,  Fi.i:tcueu  Williams. 


Minncapoli.s,  Deceuibci  ."*tii,  1HM9. 
Colonel  John  H.  Stevens  My  Dear  Sir:  I  have  read  with 
great  interest  the  proof-sheets  of  your  forthcoming  work 
entitled  "Personal  Keeollections  of  Minnesota  and  its  People." 
This  l)ook,  J  believe,  is  th<>  resvdt  of  th(*  urgent  recpiest  of 
numy  of  our  older  tntizens  that  the  ni'in  who  tlrst  settled  with 
his  family  on  the  site  of  Minneapolis,  and  who  preem|.»ted  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  its  very  heart —who  knows  every 
detail  of  the  early  beginnings  here  as  no  other  man  does, 
should  put  into  perniane?it  rc^-ord  nil  the  things  ho  could 
rememl  er,  both  little  and  great,  about  th;  so  beginnings. 
This  you  have  done,  it  seems  to  m«\  with  eminent  success. 
You  have  aUo  included  very  much  valuable  historical  nnitter 
pm'taining  to  Heiiuepin  county  n\ul  \]w  whole  stale  (tf  Minne- 
sota, You  ciM'tainly  have  furnished  the  Ireusure-liouse  for  all 
persons  in  the  future  who  nuiy  undtu'lake  to  write  the  atory 
of  Minneapolis  \ix  its  early  days.     Yours  very  sincerely, 

S.  C.  Gale. 


The  juiblishers  of  this  book  are  indebted  to  1).  0,  ^leriill, 
of  St.  Paul,  lor  the  use,  kindly  tendertMl,  of  illustrations  of 
the  early  missionaries  to  the  Indians  in  IVIinnesotn,  and  for 
views  of  St.  Anthony  Falls  of  IM.I.'l,  and  of  Minnehulsa  Falls. 
Also  to  Widter  S.  ]\b  Leud  for  the  private  joiuiml  of  his  fiitli»>r. 
Rev.  S.  W.  Fond,  of  Shakoj)ee,  mi.'teria11y  aid.ed  them  l>y  the 
loan  of  nxanuscrifit  in  relation  to  the  t  arly  mi^>siona^ies,  To 
Chas.  M.  Foot(\  of  Minneapolis,  they  are  also  under  oiiligji- 
turns  for  well-authenticated  incidents  of  the  Sioux  Massacre. 


f 


"'■>■•     "•'"     '■    I..I.S.  .•,,,,,u         •'";'   '"■"■'<    '"'il K»  in  th. 

■'■  '■";:■''•"  -.1  -.1  c..,K-,„  ,  e ,;  '""'  ■•""'■."  •■m-iv.,i 

■K-l,,„|,s  ^„„.,.    ,,^|.„  ,.    ,  '■'    '■'•«"I"H    "!■   Mi,,. 

•■>,,;;''^;-.".i..i,,,,,,,..,,,,;i,;;-- '- ,«.,„. 

iiow.  .M,,!    ..II    .., .     .  /     '*'     ^I'fSf    i;i.  ' 


all 
'M    'fi'H  ill    lit 


•^■lit-nsh    iiis   f/) 


"•  Ih-Ii.mK      |„   t, 


'•'Is.    so    (..;,, 


lies    .-iiv 


ncst/v    I, est 


Ill.-ltlOlls 


in.i    Patt 


'*■  '•''!  '»»■  iSoC.  "i   I 


owed 


I' 


H-r   VJSII     I,,    Ej, 


rok' 


<■    III 


•"Strand       | 


'  ^'"ntriljutf 


H-ard   U 


ic 


-'I   MifHU'd 


Ndtlj 
«j)<>li 


^J*'"    aided    li 


t"'i    fjlllu  V 


as  on  (I 


H- 


t'r  )i 


(   (h 


<-''■    HI     .,    ,.,,1 


I'ltv  ()(    AI 


com 

'H'rasioti  oi 


s  u 


t*"!    «'X|»tVtfd     tl 


iivrt    slu 


"IIK-,-([),,|is        -1'},^ 


t.'uid  ,„, 


'•'"      II!     flK'it      I 


^■IV<'     1,!      ij,,.     ^.J^, 


•'  «"^'li  a  iarjuv  eit- 


Ik-  I 


'"»«'   AliiitK'. 


M 


lis* 


SuKv   the  closiiijr   pa^a-s   of   this    work    have   hccii    fiii- 
jsheti.  many  more  <.!    the-  .-.uthor's  kind  and  carlv  friends 
have  crossed    the  silent    river.     Anion^   them    are    Hon 
vn.^ene    M.    Wilson,    jad^e    I-.    S.    J<,nes,     [oseph    Dean 
Hen.ianun    l\    Indl.    A     i)     lM,ster,   and    Riehar.l    Martin 
nil  pioneers  and  men  of  jrrcal  merit,  whose  meinorv  will 
always  hv  cherished  by  those  who  were  a.^sociatcd"  with 
them  m  the  early  history  of  this  coniitrv 


\ 


INDEX. 


Al)b()tt,  Mirntn,  18(1,  SO.%. 

Al«i,  ilnrvry.  a.^Il. 

Aliralmiil,  J.  I'  ,  .'MO,  .t'-".'.  ,'.Ull. 

Adiiiiis,  Ki-v.  M.  .N.,  -".t,  •J.M,  11(1,  ."i;t7. 

Ailainx.  Mrs,  ,M .  N.,  :t;iT. 

AliUii,  K.  S..  ail-. 

Alilriih,  Cvrus,    l'h4-,    -".i.".,    1'»1>,    :i«>n, 

•  lo:;,  .10(1.  ;)(>•.»,  .11-'.  .11. •'.,   .ii  i^.   :!i7, 

:UM,  :n'.i.  .'i:;:.',  .•»:•(•,,  :i,i(i. 

Aliiil,  I.  II.,  .'l.'Ui. 

Alli-ii.  Alvitrfii.  10(1,  'JOT.  :.'.N+.  .'UT. 

AiiHH,  Dr.  A.  IC,  l.'l.  :ii;,  Kill,  IHI,  1 


111,-, 
Jirj, 
y:i7. 
.'too, 
+  1,1. 


1  ii'.i, 
:.'o7, 
li+o. 

.'•.Oli, 


I'U. 
.'till. 


\->.    .'IIH, 


,  Kill 

l.ss, 
.■|.-'.t. 


.'1117.  .'iiio.  .'ii: 


1  7o, 


r 


ifii. 
.'loo. 


1  '.Ml. 
I-OII 


.';.">'.», 


i.'.'.  I 


ir.i,  1114, 
I'.ti,  mi! 

'-'14.,  1>'_'7 
L'x+,  -'H7 

.mo,  au.-i 

AtncM,  Mii'lmcl  I 

A  HUM.  i;.  It.,  l-J.- 

.'tlM,  .'I'-'.'-.,  .t.'lj-, 

Aiiu!i,  i-;.,  1  Hii, 

AlllfH,  (»..  1S«,  20.-1. 
Atm-x,  Kfv.  C  (1.,  lOH 
-■.'t<.>,  L'H,  2+n,   a77, 

.•u:i,  .'t.'i.".. 

Aiiirii,  Dr.  .\.  A.,  .'l.'">M. 
Aiiu-M  At  ItiiHi'iiinli,  L'Ntl 
.ViiilrrNiiii,    Dr.  C    I.,, 
1'7-J.,  L".lO,   .'11.-.,   .'IL'l' 
Aiiilt'rHiiii,    ).  M.,  2:t(> 

AiHlcrNon,  Kobrrt,  SIM 
AiiiltTiKin,  JaiiirN,  '-'IK 
AiiiU'rNiiii,  A.  tl.,  :ik;i. 
AiKli-rHiiii,  D.  M.,  1.'77,  .'tin 
Auilri'WH,  'riiiiiiiaH  I-".,  .'tL'.'l. 
AiiKill,  A.  <!..  :.'.'>.l. 
Aiimll,  llinrv,  120.  l.*.'!.  10;;.  l.-.H 

.\iikfii,v,  \v.  i'.,  .'t'i7,  ;ioit,  :ti:i,  :t:.'o 

A|iKar,  Daniel,  -'l.-i. 

.\riiiKlniiiK,  MrK.  It.,  1  t.s. 

.NriiiMtriiiiK,    lllraii.  I'.i'-'. 

ArinslniM).'.  Siilnn    ;io7,  .'I'-'tl. 

ArniHtniiiK.  ,|.  A.,  ;i;io,  :\si) 

Mwatfr.  Naai,  1>:.',  lo7. 
no,  I'-'I.  l-'ll.  I.'IH,  1 H', 
lil'.t,  171.  17.1, 
1'07,  UON.  l.':.'4., 
L'S.1,  yilL',  U'.Mt,  .'MO 
rtti.'l.   UN 

,\twntcT.  .Vlrii.  Iinnc,  ;M.'t. 

Atkinxoii,  I    It.  L>.s<.i. 

Attv.  John  II..  L'lM. 

Atwoi.il,  II.  S.,  1  l.".,  1*0,   JO,-.. 

AtkiiiHoii,  Hv\ .  \.c\\in,  JUL 

Aiiitin,  Kliiali,  1+4,  l.-.o.  llil',  Jo 

.VUMtlii,  A.  C,  .'I04-.  .'114..  :i'_'J.  .'tso 

.\vcT.  Kiv.  I'rt-d.  IM,  m, 

ll.ilihitt,    \V,    li  .    U.'Kt,   \im. 

'jsr>,  .'lOH.  .'t'.:o. 

Halicoik.  I..  A..  :i;i7. 
llal.iiKk,  ClwiH.  II  ,  a;iT 
llailulor,  I'    It  ,  lltM. 
llurkiiM,  .\Ir«.  Ivlri-tii,  tiZ- 
Itanlrv,  C,  «;.,  :i07. 
ItHillv,  Alex.,  7.  .'17 

iinkt-r.  |.  II..  :\'jr,.  :i:iM.  ..-•.■j 
ii/iki-i,  It.  I'.,  J7.'i,  .".HI.  .;i'_' 


IK.'I, 

1  •-, 


.'11)4, 


iiir.,  nil.. 

■Mi*.  rO;-. 

jfirt,  -',■^^l, 

.'i.'ir>,  .'1.17 


Ins. 

lOll, 

144. 

I  HI. 

I'.i.'l. 

I'OI 

JJ.N. 

-'41. 

.'MO. 

•111.', 

'JH'.i. 


!M. 


1 ..  1 , 
:iiH, 

1UJ 
27S 

:io4. 

:ioii 

.'IJ«.  :i'_'»i 


iinkt-v,  M.  c.  240,  •-•4n,  an?. 

Italdwin,  Mark.  14,'-..  in«l,  Ihil. 
lialilwin.     K.    ].,   ;to7,  .'!Ol>.  .111.  :i'_'.-. 

.'I.'lcl,   .'i!,1,   .'ISO. 
Hal<l«iii,  DaMut,  iMIi.  J24, 
llulilwiii,  I",  i:,,  Jill. 
Italilwiii,  r.f.i.  I'.,  Jill.  .'tJi; 
Hall,  K..  L'04.  l."J4 
llatit,  lohn.  l-.'O. 
Ilarlur,     D.    K.,    I'Mlt.    '-".i.''.,  .'I.'t4.    .'t.'Ul. 

;!,->'.>.  .'tilo. 
Harlur,  |.  N.,  l.'llt,  1114,  liO-'.  'JO.'!,  '-'o.-.. 

-'or,  j'o^,  j4.'t.  '-'a'.t,  -'Tw. 

Ilnnus,  Kiv    S«th,   •-'«14.  li7H. 
Ilarniinl.  'I'lK.x.  (1.,  .'lo7. 
ItarriiwM,  I'ri'd.  C.  -".Kl. 
Mam.WH,  \V.  .\l.,  JU."".. 
llaHl«r.  Cliad.,  Mh.'l. 
llasH,  |.  \V.,  lo,  17.  .10. 
Ilnrtow.  SaiiiiKl.  '-'IN.  Jl.'l ,  J!)- 
Hortholc.im  w,   r.in.    K.  I.  ,    -'in, 

J.-.o,  1.".IJ,  .'too.  .'I'-'i;, 
Itartim.  A.  C,  .'107. 
Ilassctt,  I'n-il..  ,'I04. 
HaKsitt,  Mrs.l.  II.,  J7il,  .'lo.l. 
lt:iH»4'tt,  I'liilli)!.  i:i<i 
HuKHttt,  Daiiiil,    -'S'.t.    'IIJ,    .'M  4. 

.'l.'t.'l,  .'l.'l.- 
llaMMt'tl.  Daniel.  Sr.,  .'I.'W. 

KaHHttt.  I  It. ',>;;,  i:iii.  i.im, 
t8:i,  J04,  Jo,"-,.  •-'i:i,  241. 
81M,  -'".14.  I'lM,  ;io»,  ;ii:;. 
saj.  .'t;t4.  .'l.'l.-.,  •«..'M. 

■atrw,  IC.  .N,.  JHli,  2»r.,  .'too, 

:tiMi,  :iio 
Bannmun,    Dr.  A.  I..    'JUn,    .'lo.l.    :i'-'h. 

nj'.i,  It,-.'.! 
nnxtir,  loiiii.  'J.i:!.  jii.i.  :ii4 

linzUv.  T    T..  jr.l. 

Ural,  A.  II   .  .'i.'M 

Ili-aii.  S  .  '.>'.'.    144,  1.'V4,  100.  ITIO    -J^U. 

Htan,  kc-til.tn.  IM  .  ion. 

Ilfan,  I"iliM.  IM.  J04. 

Mi-an.  Aiii'it,  •)! ,  I  DO. 

Ilcrlii-.  I'riink.  lau,  •-'»n.  a.'.ll 

IUhIk- /K    .Miniltiiliall.    .'I04.    .'ios,   .'Mil, 

.'1.14,  a.'ir.,  .'ir.'.i,  ,'Hio, 
Itff.lf,  t  \ruH.  ami.  ;ijti, 

llrilii.  .   Ii.hn,  lit'-'. 

lu-ii,  |.  i:..  .'UN,  .'ti".»,  aa4. 

Hill.  A.  J  .  mi."..  I'iia,  ,'111. 

Hell.  D.  c,  ai.".i.  .'tail,  .mil 

llcrinan.  .\.  I'  .  J.'.-'. 

lU-cniaii.  II.  D..  a07,ai.'-.,   .'MM 

lUniKlt.  A.,   L'l."., 

llfiiHiin,  A.  II,   lit)'-' 

llcnni.n,  |aro<l.  .'IJil,  .'KlU,  .'i.'<ll 

llirknian.  Dr    «.'    C"  ,  a4H.  ai  1 

lli-nv.  Ii.lin,  14.''i,  l.in,  JOii 

ltrrrv,"|..lin  M  .  a'-'ll 

HrrrV.  Mark  T  ,  in.'".,  101.  aii 

lU'rtrani.  .MiH-*,  a.'lil 

IWrtrani.  i;c..,.M,.  Idtt,  L'IM.  '-'ar..  a4a. 

Ili'diinr..  T.  S..  auH. 

Hllieault,  I-twiH,  J1'.» 

Hickliinl.  David,    ia7.   laM,   lail,   lilJ 

iH'-',  aon,  '.iir, 

.lijRiow,  S,,  24.!,  1'4S. 


aa.-.. 

'lar. 

ai'.i. 

aa'-'. 

aMi) 

aHi 

INDKX. 


Ill 


!,  .'IH,'!. 


niKilow,  Mrs.  S..  li+'-V 

HirKc  iicMirv  [,.,  liiK'i,  'Jttn,  rioo,  :i:ia. 

DirminKhain,  II.,  1!)'.). 
Iliiiiiiin,  A.  !'.,  Uls. 
!li^<hi)|i.  jftsc,  .'I07,   .'l!.'!.'. 
Ilisliiiji,  MiNM  llarrii'l  li.,  L'Ol.. 
ItJHM'li,  MiH.,  :i('>t). 
Itlaik,  Jiihn  I..  •.\-2H,  :i:ir.. 
Illaik,  Miihldii,  :;."<.>.   'JH->. 
IM.uk,  .Mrs.  Mahloii.  !.''>)'>. 
Illaisdill,  KolKrt,    1  «•."..  1.''>L',  inii,  'Jlir.. 
Ill.iisdill,  KdIktI,  Jr.,    14:i,    I'.L*,    ir>5, 
Itiii, 

niaiM!iiii.  John  T..  i4:i,  i.Ti!,  nrj. 
iti.dtiitii,  Will.,  I  Ki,  ;i:».-. 

lll:iki\  lliiirv.   1 '.»'.». 
Illakflv.  Ca|")t.  Klisucll,  ■»-. 

itiakfinaii.  A.,  .'i:.'.'..  ;!;io,  ;i;«i.  rt.'^ii.        i 

l(l<iiiiii(|iiiNt.  C.  A..  .''.s;i.  ] 

lliitVcrilinK,  John.  J'.i.'i. 

HotlVnlinu,  Niclmlas,  iii>r>. 

Uohaii,  T.  M.,  !.".».-. 

nolianiiaii,  .1.  C  .  I'.tlJ.  •JOn. 

Kixtrhar,  Mrs.  J.,  l.'!-". 

Ilonlt'ii.  ICilintitiil.  l.'t)r>. 

liiinip.  f.  W..  ICitJ,  .'ii;! 

Host,   lluo.,  'J!»:i. 

Iliixtsvii'k,  I.anlm-r,  !tl,  117.   ITT.lT'.l, 

•jio,  '_'(>;i,  "j'.ti,  :f_"_',  .WKi. 

Hostwii'k,  .XU'x.,  l.'r>.!. 
Kottiiuan,  Joliii  II.,  :il)l>,  .'111 
Hiittiiuaii,   I'ltTif,    1.", 
•_'ij(»,  .■iu:i. 

M.uilie.  M.,  l.'1'.t. 
HonrKfois,  I'ifo..  IMCi. 
ll<>iirK«'<'is,  l.rwis,  1  Mtl 
Hoiitwi'll,  Miss,   .'t.'l.''). 
Howiiuiii,  (ici>    Il.,17>'l 

■_'(5o,  i;(;;i,  -jts,  :i;i7. 
iliiwinan,  \Vin.,  n.'l.'l. 
Ilowtilaii,  1>.  II..  ;i:i.'i. 
IloviiiKtoM,  Miss  M.irtlia,  ■,'|.:t. 
Ilrackcll,  (km.  .\.,  "J-l,  :il»7.  .'idit, 

.l.'ir.. 
Iliaikitl,  11.  II.,  :i:i5. 
Braill'iiid.  |aiiiis  I".,  .'Il.s. 
Ilracll'onl,  Ail<il|iliiis.  US<»,  l!".l.-,.  .•|tS. 
Ilradlonl,  Olis,  .tO'.l. 
Urailk-v,  latiics  l\.  L'.'I.T,  l.'!-.'!.  •-'75.  ;ii.'|., 

:ii.'7,  .'I.''.*. 

Ilrawlcv.  C.  D.,  Ljr.:i. 
Ilrawltv,  W.  I",.  liOl,  -JO:! 
Jlray,  Hf.  I',.,  .IH.l. 
Ilrrmi'r,  Miss  I'lviUriika.  .'11,  '.to. 
Ilnvvjr,  1..  M.,  .r_';i. 
Ilriwtr,  .1.  M.,  ;i-';i. 
iirisettt',  r;ilni<iiiil,  1  !.:'• 
Hrlstol,   \v.,  '.ti',  i:m,  I'.i:.',  i'.i;i,  i.'i:i. 
Ilroiisoii,  II.  W.,  1  1,  ;ni. 
llriKiks,  Kiv.  III'.  C'.vriis.  .'IIMI. 
Itnioks,  Ha  viil,  11.11 . 
Hrott,  r,.  |-,.  loi),  I'ji,  i»m,  iiiM 
•_'o7,  -'-Ti,  :;«■.■■>,  u'tio. 

Ilniwii,  Hvv.  W.  I'     '.i-'.    10.S. 
Ilriiwii.  laiiu's,  '_'•>,   l;i:J.  'Jtl,*!. 
Ilriiwii,  C.  A.,  '.II.  11- 1,  l.''i+,  liOfl, 
Ilrowii,     Isaiii.     i:iO,     l.'IH,    1411. 

\i\-j.  104,  iH.-i,  lu;;,  -'ti,  utn, 
u:it5. 

Ilniwii.  I    M.,  t«1.  ID.'l.  L'l)4,  L'1.1 
llri.wn,   Z.    M.,    1  l.'t,    isn.    111-', 

liiii,  -jau,  -JUI. 
Briiwn.  <if().  A.,  L'-|.'J. 
tJriiwii,  OtiH  n.,  :.•.-.•_'. 
Ilruwi  ,  s.,  2a:i. 
lln.wa,  lluldwiii.  .laii 
Hr.iwn,  |ohn  W.,  l««i. 
Utuxvii,  U.,  <J2,  1U2. 


1.S4.  l.s.".,  I'jl), 


\2\). 


17(), 


I4..S. 

•_'H7, 


.'04. 


Brown,  Robsrt  W.,  .'UK. 
Ilrowii,  \V    K.,  -'in. 
llriiwii,  Ili-iirv  !•■  ,  .'IN.'l. 
Urown.     |.    K.,    i;Ui,    i;iH,    14(i,    14N, 
1tl2,  1114,   isa,   I'.li;,   L'4I.  •Jill,   liH7. 

:i:in. 

trtiiiiiis,  Idliti  O.,  .'IH.'I. 

li  vaiil,  UolKTl  K.,  IJH!),  -".15. 

link,  I.  \V..   lir.U. 

luck,  II,  I'.,  :iS.'l. 

lutk.  C.  1"..  liH:.'. 

Iiicki'iidiirl',  Wni.,  .'107. 

liKkntr.  S.  II..  •_'.-.,  I'll,  1(11. 

lull,  II.  I'..  aUd. 

Iiirliild,  Isaai'.  L".t-'. 

Itirkc,  Ivdiiiiiiid,  l.'n.'l. 

Iiisliiivll,  Kcv.  Mr.  Ilnrai'f,  .'I2r>. 

liirlniKhani,    lliratii,    144.    If)!:,    I'.IL', 

•jort.  •j;ii. 

ItinoiiKlis.  Ira,  '.)1,  2ia. 

ttisliiifll,  Clitstfr,  1.'77. 

latUr,  Dr.  I.tvi,  .'IL'7,  :1.'I7,  :101 

lutlcr,  II.  C.  .'1117. 

IvriK's,  Will..  l-J..'!. 

Ivriifs,  I  anus,  14a. 
Cahill,  W.  I-  ,  ua7. 
CalilV,  lohn,  '_':i.-i,  '_'70. 
(.•aniiiliill.  II.  II  .  4. 
Caiii|ilit'll,  lUii.  W..  'Jlfi. 
Camp,    C.ici.    A.,    14r),    101.'.   UO."..   liir.. 

'_"_'.H,  .■11.-.,  :i(i(i. 
caiiiiiv,  Mrs.  |.  II.,  aar.. 

Caiiiiiy.    J,    II.,     ir>1,    ni'J,   '_'(>,H,   'JH, 

1.'41'. 
CuriHnUr,  It.  M.,  aid,  ,'ll.','l. 
Cnrpi'iiU'r,  Walter,  .'lori. 
Curnian,  ."ili   s  Mary,  1!44. 
Carman,  |idiii,  I'.-i'.'. 
Caiutluri    W.  M..  aiS. 
Casi.  janu's  C.aU'.  IKI,    1(11. 


Casi', 

C..1. 

i:.,    ll.--.,     14(1, 

1411, 

1111, 

1X( 

.   IMS 

liua.  uof),  I'OH, 

■-'i:i. 

'-'41.'. 

Casr, 

s.  w 

,  11;-),  140,    141.', 

1  l-H. 

1(11, 

I'.il 

,  '_'(l.". 

.  i;r>7. 

Case, 

Cllas 

.  Kii;. 

Casi-, 

C.l-ci. 

i:..  1(11. 

Cast', 

.Mrs, 

S.  W.,  •_'41.'. 

lau, 


.107.  .'^la. 

10.H.    IMU, 
'J04,   liO.", 
"4, 


ralliiart,  lohii,  UH. 
C.'ivcmUr,  A.  II,,  II. 
ChalUr,  Kiv.  I,  l\,  .107,   all 
CIialViT.  A.  II.,  l'".fJ. 
ClialUx,  Mrs.  C  .  .'l.-l. 
ClialV.f,  Hi.haril  M,,  ail). 
Clialmrrs,  I'rcd.    l.'li.l,  .'lO.''., 
CliiinilH  rlaiii,     Uv\  .     |.    S., 

mil,   "-'(111,    •J'J.-.   '-•7H. 
Cliamlnrlaiii.  W.  II  ,  a07. 
Chamlicrs,  Win.,    ISO.   lll'J, 

lio.s. 
Chaml)i-rs,  (Icn,  .\lex.,  aau. 
CliainlK-rs.  Thus.,  \>'J.  211. 
Channilin,   (I,    K,,   2na. 
Chiinifltr,   C,  .'IM.l. 
Chapin.'in,   C,    M,.   '-"J-',   lili4. 
Chapman.    Win     S.    lid",    Mim,  aas, 

awa.  4'-'H. 

Charlt.in.  Pavld,  'JUR,  311,  318. 

Chasf,  losiah  U.,  ajlfi.  307,  323. 

Clinso.  liiiiiitlian,  'JUt»,   .'lO-t.   323.  , 

Cliase,  S.    r,.  :tl<), 

Chasf.  Cliits,  !„.   '.'nri.   •_'1>!»,   .too, 

Chiitil,  Viitor.    1M(1,   -ja.".. 

ChatJield,    A.    (...    2!».   14n,   107.  200, 

20.1,   l-'ON,   -Jl.-i,   -jao,  417. 
ChntHeIri    Mrs    !■;,  i;,,  4is. 
Chenk'v  *»r»M,.  ax.'! 
Chcevcr.   W.  A..  Ife    120,   15h,  207. 


IXDIiX. 


iii 


Clii.win.    <■..    \\.,     '.IJ,    J  IT 

:t:i.'i,  a.'. ',  .'iin,  .'i«'i. 

Cliowcn,  Joseph  II.,  -Til. 
Chowi'ii,  Win.  S.,  -Til.  .":;; 


.11  V. 


CliDWCii,  Mrs.  Cifi).  \V. 


Curli!«,()rriii,.'llii,  .■it ; 
Ciirtii*.  T.  I,..  ;««». 

ciisiiiiiKii,  c.  M.,  .'iKi,  .'i:j:t. 


MIX,  ;ip.i,  ;ii!H, 


.•m  I . 


CiitUr,  H 


•.ir,,  ij-iv. 


Christtims.  C  W.,  '.•'_',   IIH.    l.lo.   IH.     CiitUr,  I'..  \V.,  .T.'- 


IM.'t,  lioj.. 


ntr>. 


;i;i, 


!H. 


ciiiiiiii,  I'lfiitirc.  :iM:t. 

Chiilili,  J.)lii\  II.,  .•th.l. 

Chiirih,  Calvin,   14.1,   l.lf..    i;f_'.   L'.-i'.i. 

Chtitr.  Mr».  S.  II..  .'tl.l. 

Chntf,  Dr.  S.  II.,  :ni,  .".I'.i.  .fjl.  .t:i.i. 

CluiU,  Kiitmnl,    1'77.    -'s;i,    If.S'i,  •.".n . 

i".>s,  ;i(>K,  :ii(),  :\:\:\. 
Clark,  Aini>'<,  -'d'.t,  .'li>N,  .•IIK,  ;«'_'s 


.'IHi.     Cvplurs,  J.  .'111. 
')ank'l!<,  Chan.  l„ 


Clark.  Hclwin,  .'lo'j,   ;tii;i,   'M)', 


:ij«i. 


Clark,  .MisH  Surah,  L'l-». 

Clark,  J.  II.  a.-.li. 

Clark,  MaU'iiinli,  ■_•"  l-. 

Clark,  C.iiH.,  L'sm,  .'llo. 

Clark,  CliaM.  II.,  •_'««,  .•11<1 

Claik,  .Miss,  :i,l.-. 

Ck-vi-lanil.  A.,  L'lKI,   L'O'.).   :.'7.'>.    .'I-"'. 

CIrvilanil,   Mh.s  Siirali,  .'tl.'. 

Clnncnt,  C<,\.  .\.  A.,   .l-'T. 

ClipiHT,  Kcv..|cilin  W.,   .TJ'.t. 

Cl'inticr,  II  ,    If,,    117,    I7(l,   •.'07, 

CliMiKh,  C.illirrl,  ;i(i7. 

Clnnnh,  I).  M.,  ;W)7. 

Colili,  Aniasa,   t-'J'.l. 

Ciilili,  Ki-v.  I».,  .'ISd. 

Ciilili,  S.,  '.»•-',   'J'.tl'. 

CdiiIi'H,  .Mrs.  Sarah,    1."'.l. 

Cochri.nr,  I tsa  |(.,  -'Hi. 

Cochrane,  Patrick,   lisi». 
Colfinan,  I.,   ;!lii;. 
Cok-,  ll.nr.v,    l-'tt. 
Collinrii,   Saiiinrl.   l.'."!.".. 
Collins,  Kiv.    L'*_'.". 
ConiliH,  AllH-rl  \V..   .•'.(Ml. 
Connor,  Thos,  tis. 
Connor,  i;.  II..   HI,   ll'.t.   i."JI-. 


Coiinillv,  .\    I' 


.•I  1 .' 


Conzftl,  Martni,   'Jilii 

Coolhannh.     II.    M.,     '  .iC.,     IHI,     1  .".15, 


■Jll'J, 
.US. 


y(»4,  a:m,  u'lj,  "joi,  ;i'Hi, 


CiMillianKli,  Ki'v.  I'raiik   C.   t.'iiJ.   .'Hrj 
CoollianKli,  .Miss  Mari;iii,  \!H7. 
Cook.  I'ranklln,  ;m;t,   ant.,   .-11  »..  .'Iso, 
Cook,  S.  I".,  V.'lll. 
Cook,  Rnlns,   .'lid. 
Cook,  M.  ."s.,   L'.":;. 
Coo|M  r,  li.'ivid,  ItMi. 
Cortu'll,  Win.  11.,  '_".i."i. 
Cornell.  .Mrs.  !■•.  K.  li..  ruin. 


Coriull,    I'.   1<     Iv 


.■11,    L-'-'l, 


2'.H>, 

:i:.'.'>. 


ill,  an'.i,  .'iiL',  :\\s.  ai'i. 


i-MI, 


ai'ii,  .'i.'ui.  .a.'uv 


CoHselt,  I-fvi,  :iiii. 


v.'oiiilli.ni 


il,  c 


:n-. 


•  1, 


!>:; 


Crafts,  Atiiasa,  1  I.I.,    la.",  L!l'. 


Crarv,  Ki  v.  IM.  II.  I' 


Ciinda 
«."raiif 


lall,  I 


;  1  ti 


>.  c 


.'HI 


i;.  I' 


•_'7<1. 


Crawford.  C,   a*. 

Crcimn,  I".  \.,   '.M,   1 H-,    l.'n. 


c  reHHfv 


lUv 
v..  T, 


Iv.  W 

a  ML'. 


.Ill, 


Criicker,  N.,   U'.IL*. 

CrolTutt,  W.  A.,  .'lOL',  .KMl,   .111," 

Crowtll.  S.  S.,  14.''>,  ir>«.  ; 


.til 


i.  nniiTiiiiKs, 


A.  I. 


hi: 


.M)» 


'•t"«. 


CuininiiiKK.    Hold.    W.,    Hi.     \'Ji>,    It: 

1.1.S,  1711,  a  I  a,  U5r..  :.'u.i.  :.".rj 
:vjn.  .TL*7 

Cummingii,  I.  \V.,  Hf<;\. 


am 


.'Nil. 


lima,  (W'titTal,  -Il . 

>avie.  IC.  II..  I'.l.".,  U'VU',  1!7«,  2HSi,  a.'t.T. 


atll). 

ait). 


•a vie.  .Mrs.  H 
ln\  is.  Ceo.  1  ir.> 
i.-ividson.  C.  II.,   'J'.lCt. 
lav,  C.i-o.  IC.  II.,    -'7X. 
luv,  A>;«ii'.  •'till. 
).-iv.  W.  I'.,  in. 


••i.'in,  •^^^^. 


lav,  liaviil.  Id, 


.1.  ail,  I'll. 


lav,  hi-onard  .S:  Soir 

.abii. 
H'Mii.  Mrs.  Josfpli,  "Jd" 


i;ti.,  \n.i,  ana, 


k-an,  I'.  H.,  ana. 
lean.    jos. 


I  Hi 


.'(14,  I'l.a. 


i('4,  1  111,  i.sa.  i.sii, 
•jH\i,  .111,  aua. 


)cKa.v,  Isaai   W..   L.'a7 

Ifsjaritiis,  .Moses,    'J\{). 

leiiinion,  Jared  S.,  •_".i|.,  ad7,  .'I'lH. 

leininiiti,  Man  .M.,  '.".14,  ao7,  .'tl'.'.aild. 

levorv.  r.itriek,  L'.'i.'l. 

liiii),  iir  \\    M..  :\xr>. 

ikkie.  Win.,  14a,    l.l'J.  ISd,  ih7,  •-'11 
•insiiiore.   J.  .\.,    14.1,   '-'dfi,   JIM,    Jt.;, 

am.  'J'.!'.'. 

liiisiiiore,  Win.,   I'Ul.'. 

lodil,  II.  W.,   l'o7. 

IoiIkc,  Cieii.  Ilenrv.   1!. 

>oil»4e,  A.  I<  .  I'.l.'t,"   '_'(IH,   '_"J1,   •_'4d. 

IoimU'IIn  ,  iKil.'itins,    Vl  1  . 

lorinan,  IC/ra,  1  7.'. 

loriniiii,  |i.  II  ,  .'t'Jl ,  .'im 

lorniati.  Israel,   .'ld(>. 

lorr,  jolin  W.,  L'd.l. 

lorr,  A.  II.,  til,  IM'J. 

lorr.  laleli   H.,  Hi,  17<l.  17::,  L'lia. 


M 


low.  Kev.  J.  W.,    IHV,   •_•(.: 

an. 

lowns,  John,  .'t.'td. 
io«  ns,  '/..,  'Jtn  . 
lowns,  llenr.\ .  a.ail 
low  lis,  Thos.,  a.'KV 

low.  i;.  c,  :'iM. 

irake.  i;.  !■      1  Hi. 
Iraper.  Josl.r.a.  1  I  I, 
iraiK-r,  Isaiu'  V.,  Hi4,  L'tl.'i. 
)udlev,  John,  .'IM.a. 
lilKas,  Will 


:'()M,   atlJ, 


.11(1 


a,  I'jd,  jdi. 

liiKaii.  Will. .[..  'JIM. 

liiKan,  J.'lin,  -'••4. 

iiiiiiiin|4tiiii,  U.  I'.,  '-'tl.l. 

luhreii,  I'.,  'Jm  . 

Ilirfee,  I'eler,  a**.!. 

liirinan.  Jidiii  M.,  llni,  Jl'.i, 

iiiloit.  I'Ved,  .'IH.'l. 

lilt  ton.  losiali.  1  M7.  '-'10. 

Inttoii.'f..  It.,  H\'_'.  H.n.  '-'i:! 

Iwiiu-lle,  Will  .  I'.i: 


ll.. 


tstinan,  W.  W. 
hinder,  Jiii-ol),  ;tM,l. 


.•an.  L'.Ki.  :u)n,  aia. 


<l\ 
dwi 


lis.  Is 
ds,  Havitl 


II 


!I7,  'Jil.l 


a-jH. 


'_'7M,   'JMtt,    L".IS, 


.1111.  .'iL'c,  ,'i.'i:i. 

;ill(.it,  .Mrs    H.. 
;ilii.ll.  lir.    |.  s 


.'II,  i;id, 

.•s4,   .•((I'.I.   .'Id.'l.    .•11.". 


;4M,  a;i'.', 


Iliott,  Daniel.  H 


L'4S. 


Iliott,  w Milan,  r.'ii.  '-'tM,  ati'.i,  aiid. 

Iliott.  Dr.  A     I'  ,  J4S. 

Iliott.  I.  K..  -jt-y-. 
Iliott,  l-'raiik,  J*>*. 


iv 


INDEX. 


ISl',   22*.  :J30. 


21  :i.  2C,:\, 


i.'ii).  :.'ft+. 


I'.iilott,  Rev.  iiiiirv,  i.'ii:i.  ;ts:!. 
i:iii<itt,  MiNH  Nciiii-,  :iiH,  :io<>.  :tHi 
iiiiiH,  las.  \v.,  .-ti:;. 
lillMwortli.  I-..  .*is,). 
I%l\vfll,  Tiiliiiiifjf.  1  7lt 

i:ils\v<>rtli,  Cliirk,  :j.''i.'l. 
liiinTv,  Ciplliy,  I'l'.t. 
ICiiilc,  AiiKXMt,  !.'().%. 
lisihlii-,  Ilnii.v,  :t(K». 
CsU'N,  Iniiatliaii,  Itxi. 
INtcH,  I.ivi,  IWH. 

iciistis,  |.  M.,  .'t(»:i,  ;i:i.-. 

HvaiiN,  Win.  i:.,  2r>H.  2'.)2. 
l^wiMK,  Will.  M..  IN",  2r>:\. 

i-iiii,  laiiun,  :m). 

I'liriiiiaiii,  Kiiliis,  '.>1,  1  (■>•>•. 
I'ariiliaiii,  KiiriiM,  Jr.,  HI.  2\'.>. 
I'ariiliiiiii,  MrH.  S.  W..  .tl.'l. 
l-ariiliiiiii,  S.    W.,    1(>,   i:^l. 

2'.n,  ;ti-,  .iin. 

I'ariliault,  J.  It.,  +.s,  1C.7. 
I'ariliaiilt,  AUx.,  1.11. 
I'nriiiKton,  Cll«».    W.,    1  1-4, 

liO.T,   2r,V. 
I'ariiiKtiiii,  Ccn.  W..  2'>\i. 
IMl.  Ill-,  v.,  ICi;,  nil.. 
I'Vriiald,  S.,  '.il. 
I'lTKiixoii.  Win.  II..  2r>2. 
I-Vrraiit,  .Martin,  L'S'.t,  :t2.s 
I'cwir,  Kicharil,  l."-'!-,  .11  L'.  .'!; 
I'illinoiT,  S    I,.,  ;i;i7. 
I'lNk,  WixMllinrv,  'Ml'J. 
I'it/uerald,  I'jiiil, 
l'"iii<llcv,  S.   I.,  l-H 
I'imli,   Win.,  '.ii;, 

;i;tii,  ;j;»(>,  .'stn. 

J-lttiliir,   Kr.  II., 
I.'io.  Kil-,   H»L', 

I'^.T,  '_':;(>,  I'liT, 
■_".>i,  ;!i(),  :iis, 

l-Utcliir,  Ava,  1 H- 
l"li'tfliiT,  Tiiiuilliv 
I'lcUhcr,  C.  i;.,  1  +  1-,  2S2.  aoi! 
(■'IfUlicr,  Mrs.  Dr.  II.,  .'{UK. 
I'lftilu-r,  Lori-ii,  :!U<t.  :1.'IC.. 
I'.ilHdin,  S.  v..  1  1.  •-•'.•,  UK), 
Fiilsdiii,  W.  II.  C.  t>.s. 
Folsoin,  I'Mwar,     ll>,    ll'.i, 

1.TL',   I'.H). 
l''i>lsi)iii,  Jdlin,  .'ls;i. 
I'dlsoni,  II.,  ■'t.'l,'. 
I'oNoiii,  I'ruf.  S,  II.  :n(-. 
l-'ord,  lifiiiiis,  i.'r>;t. 
I'ord,  I,.  .M.,  .'11(1,  ,'i;t:;. 
•'■ml,  I...  .'r.'s. 
I'osttr,  A.  I..  Ill,  1J-+,  l.'-il 
.\.  II.,  Ki,  IS'J. 
S.  i;.,  '.Il',  KU,  2:i4.. 

i-:/ra,  nil.',  i-'cin. 

I,.  A.,  I'.Kl. 
Thus.,  i;i.''>. 
,  :ti.-.,  .'im. 

.'U'.i 
I'Vistrr,  Mrs.  A.  II. ,  :U>(I. 
I'(i\vl<r,  lliiirv,  1  <•". 
I'lpwln,  Win.,'  2H2. 
l-'rakir,  I'liiliii.  KiL'. 
KraiiUlin,  Saiinii'l,  L'OI. 
Friiicli,  A.  I".,   2r>2. 
I'rinili,  Ailolpliiis  K.,  .'t'.IS. 
I'ri'olxirii.  Win.,  2X2. 
l-ri<IUv,    A.    .M.,     14.-.,  21(),   L'+C, 

:jr.7, 1'.-'.i,  2Hr,,  uui'. 
I'rhlUy,  las.  II.,  1!t:i. 
I'urlur,  J,  W,,  4.2,  102, 
(".ale,    S.     C,    307,     31  ."l,     .'U.'., 

36U. 


r.ale,  Hnrlow  A.,  t3S,  2.H.^,   2'.tr.,  .llii . 

322,   32»i,    :i2»,   3311,   380. 
f.alf,  Hfv.  A.,  ;101,  31 0. 
Call-,  .Mrs.  Harlow  A.,  300, 
C.alr  ^:   KiilK,  .32M. 
r.alpiii,  Kiv.  C.to.,  2()0,  32S. 
Caliiin,     Kcv.    Clias.,     200,    2(17,    21 H,. 

24(1 
Cturci'Ion,  Wni.,  .'Ui7. 
C'.anliur,  C,  iri2,  2or,,  210,  220. 
tianliit-r,  Tlios.,  307. 
Ciariliii'r.  Clur*.,  224. 
CarilniT,  .Mrs.,  27'.l. 
<;arlaii(l,  W.  |l.,  I'lO,  2S4,  31  1. 
Carritv,  I'ltin,  1'.»2. 
C.arty.lolin,  1H7. 
CarriHoii,  ().  Iv.,  1H(>,  LMLs. 
("■arvais,  I..  I'.,  1H7. 
Carviv,  C.  C,  14r),  IHC. 
(War,  Ii.hn  II.,  32,  4.3. 
Cvar,  Dr.  Iv.  <*..,  2(5,  .32,  73,  KIM,  143. 
(JcorKf,  lU'iiry,  21'.». 
(iflinas,  Aiitliiinv,  210. 

W.   W.',    1(>,    102,    2().'>,   20H, 


333. 


(Utchill 

3M.3. 
C.itilull 
(Utclicll 
C.i'tclu-ll 
C.iUhell 


317. 

(i.'i. 

14.-.,   2(17, 

202, 

327 

108,    121, 

1  20, 

13H 

2(1".,    2(17, 

-MO, 

213 

2.3(1,   2C.(1. 

270, 

2H7 

J.,  l,"-.!!,  Ki: 

. 

\\  144. 

Klli 


134,    142 


ViinUr, 

l-'oslt-r, 

Ki.strr, 

I'osti-r, 

I't.stii 

I'nsttr,  I-.  r 

Ki.stir,  j.  C. 


10O. 


254, 


320, 


W.  M.,  01. 

WashiiiKtim,  1C.1    1C.4,  IHC. 
Mrs.  I'trriii,  KiO. 
WinslDW,  1M(5,  20.T. 
(uUlull,  M.  W.,  202,  321. 
C.itchcll,  C.ci).  W.,  204. 
C.ctilHll,  J<.lin  II.,  383. 
C.ilisi.n,  Paris,  ,3(17,  3(>1, 
(".ilison,  K.  H.,  02,  1W«,  192,  Sod,  20S,. 

304. 
(Vilisi.n  S:  Kastnian,  3.3,". 
CidiM.n,  IVUr  M.,  20(1.  21H,  221,   202. 
C.illirrt,  j.  H.,  2(>7,  2,'i4,  2G(),  262,  27H,. 

312,  310,  334. 
(;ill)i-rt,  (*..  K,,  3H3. 
C.ilknlifik,  <;.  W.,  2fi. 
Cillain,  J.  W.,  202. 

CiMillan,  Jdlin  U.,    i;00,  321,  320,  3lso.. 
C.ilk'Siiii-,  F-,  y-3. 
Cilltsiiif,  C.  210. 
C.illitk,  I.awriiico,  383. 
C.ilnian,  J.  M.,  310. 
('.ilmoro,  ('.CO.,  244,  292. 
(Vilpatrick,  C,  02,  144,  ir.l. 
C.ilpatrii'k,  I.saae,  91,  190, 
C.Imk,  J.  ('..,  307. 
c;<)<irrev,  Anl.,  13,   82,   10.'.,   144,   14C.. 

I.'i4,  IC.C..   200,   237. 
Codfriv,  Ktv.  A.  C,  1, '">(■.,  102,  207. 
('.odlrt-y,  Mrs.  Ard,,  3C.(i. 
CodlVi'y,  .Miner,  l.^l. 
(iodine,  I'aiil,  210. 
r.oodi'iioiiKli.  John,  .383. 
(iodk-y,  Mrs.  (U'o.,  381. 
C.onzalcs,  Capt.,  318. 
(".oodluic,  las.  M.,  32,  42,  83,  07,  lOd, 

11.'.,  12.H,  178. 
C.oodriili,  S.  A.,  18(5,  204. 
Coodrii-li,  A.  I,.,  18(5,  102. 
C.oodrii-h,  Iv.  A.,  237. 
Coodrich,  .\aroii,  422. 
('.oodalc,  li.lm  W.,  210, 
C.oodcll,  Iv.  A..  .381. 
(".(.odvear,  C,  15.,  310. 
C.oodwiii,  Win.,  144,  151,  l(i2. 
(iorni.'in,  W.  A.,  215. 
C.onnan,  I'.,  232. 
»;<.i-d(in,  Mrs.,  18(5. 
C.ossard,  Kiv.  T.  M.,  311. 
(Jorlmni.  David.  143,  154,  183,  25:'.. 
C.oiikl,  Clicssinaii,  150,  1(52,  203. 
Could.  Leonard,  150,  1(52. 
Gould,  A.,  275,  314. 


INnKX. 


iUO. 


f-rtivvf,.  K.  K.,  .-(•  J. 
*:r«vi.s,  |.;,i„.i„,  :i,;^ 

I.rwly,   1,.,   ,;;,     -, 

<-"-K"rv,  M.c  ';.•,., 

<-mn..I.  II.,  .-ini-,. 

«.ri(lin,  I,.  I,     M,,;,-,, 

<•"«"■.  W.  A.   TtK-t 
<'ris\v(i|,|   jj,..,    ,y'; 

♦•riflith,  I,.  I.,;,-'''  -••'^'  -•••<>. 

<'rhiishM\v  'w"  J/    .1.... 
•  •rovtr.  N.  s.,  ih7 

''««;«.  v.,  0,5   '"^"• 

J'"f'.  I- .  ir.o. 

„^'0«.1-V;i:  •.,■••    '«'^-  "'-MOO,  193 
"nil,  Kf  V.  s.    a'io 
""".Kate  II..-:  tr, 
Ham  in,  Mrs.  n    ,"  "    -.w. 
Ham   n.  ii   ji    '1,  .■.•'**' • 

"ntniltcn.  VV,i,    iL 
Hankinson,  John   -tsi 

Hanson.  Wni     \\r    .  "'• 
Hanson    (Viert,^,  •'■>•■'.  --'>•  -'t.* 
'"nson.'Ka    u.Vl'o.'r'-l- 
Hanson,  I).  M    •.,;,::'•„ 

Hanscome.'irVv"  ~,'w.',  -'■"'.  —.. 

Ilancock.  Jl.  I,,  \;J\-  «:._    ,, 
Hancock  «t  Th  ^CT      •  -'"•  S-''- 

Harmon.  "i?.A"".T.;"'' -'«!•• 

Harnif)n,  c     <»•>  "  " 

■Harmon,    aIU.,";    .,.,      ,.,.,      , 

.IHN.  i.,o     .^      •    :^~-     1...      I4,s,    .7.) 

Harmon.  A.  n.,   ,,''„"*•  •'-"• 
H'lrmon,  c.  P     ,a    ' 

armon.  Wm.   iyjaia 
{  armon.  Aii„s,\i:,'';l^-, 
Harrinirtiiii    i        . '*.^  •  •»'>i  1 . 

ii.iir  njrton,  \Vni    II      .„,, 

Harris,  j,.  ,.:  ^  .  ""  •^■.  -'^O,  1'.,m 
Harris,  Miss',,-, 7" 
Harr  s.  Cant    i      •"  v'l'- 

Harris,  Gp,,     'iv,.'. -'"• 
""•kms.  Miss,',,-'!:.'' 


1^   .   !«■-.. 


••"'•».    11»0,    y;),j 


l.".?. 


••i.ir, 


-«-'.    -'SH. 


-'«7, 

;«i7. 


>'-'«,  aau 


--<>,  S27 


Han  Will.   V 

-•r>!). 

Harnev.  W  „,..  ;...,., 

Harrison.  (.  |.     .,Z:. 

arri.son.T.A',7,3"- 

Harrison  Iiros    :]■,-, 

H"t:\ro"^i:[i:7^'"?;r.(anc,... 

uWton,  Jam.;.  :}>;;•, 
''".viN,  .\losi-s    -7s 
'f"(>.  Hinrv,  l^.■l    ir.-i 

Heat,  nklis's    *';>•?"■ 

'"•'l        tU'J         •>1«  ..,,.'        ''"'■        'i'l 

Hfirflfinif.rr  c    ,1     .,"•  •■"*»■  •III 
Hc•mi„,,*••^^•<J•  "..£10}.,  .-,«, 

Henry,  John,  '..io,  *• 
'/••pp.  Clins..  -.,•) 

'•-tchn/an^^u'.r,''.'.^;;";,.,^    , 
Hlokey.  M,.  ,,,^yj'  -»».  .tart,  .'i;.; 

,  I  £m- J"S.';,\i:?;v. 

!  Hinkicv.  J    n     ...1;,    ;.-• 
:i;i(5       •'•  "••  -'♦-.  ■!o+, 

Hinks,  n.  p     ;„,, 

HotLson     |.;     »     "a. -mo 

HofTnian,  jn.nes,  :i!)M 
Ho  s.nKtoM,  IJ.,  yn"  • 
HolJistir   S      111-    ./. 

Holt,  A.,  ui') 
Holnas.jns.aiM 
Jl"  mts,  St  .phi.n,  hut 

'"I'kins.  11.  II.'  ;',"•/.• 

'  I  t,hT-  •^' •''••'>«> 

notch  kiss,  Mrs    \v     \ 

Hotcjikiss  w':\^\;,;^, 

Huot,  K.    c),    .,-.,    ,. 
Iloiii^    i.M        "  -"•'•    'Ot 

H"wc-,  Asn,  -|'»" 
'••we,  c.  R.,  M,,, 
Howo.Jas.  M  .  -.'{.■, 

Hoyt.  n.  K.  M,- 
«".vt  Miss,  .-1 -I.-,; 


.'1:10. 


•:i  »..  :fj-j. 


-'89, 

.■17H, 


;i-'7 


INO, 

-'-to. 


i.Nn, 
-'i.-i. 
.■i;io. 


a.'w. 


1  !•  J, 
-'.',9. 

■'i.'ia. 


^O.!,   aS9. 


.  -'4a, 

-'57. 


Us. 

!r.)s. 


.•7.'l, 


-t>«,  an, 


■nil. 


•'14. 


1 J 


:'l 


VI 


INDKX. 


HuKliro,  Jnmrn,  '_'.'•:?,  L'.'t. 

Iluxf,  Siiiilonl.  IHt. 

llllHi-.  S..  Hi.  1 10. 

Hull,  Slrplirii,  miH.  I'lH,  :.'L'J 

llllllt.  Tlli.H.   II  .    1M(1. 

limit,  JiiuuM  II.,  :.'70. 

IhiUliiiiM,  cImiHllii,  1-1.2,  1."1,  JUL'. 

Iliitchltis,  CyniH,  l.'or>. 

iiiiv,  •Uo.  i;,,  iin,  i4n,  i.-.i,  iito, 
■_':rj,  li.t.''.,  I'Ki,  :;-n,  ::v;i,  -'m+,  ;i(i3, 
;io'.»,  ;ii'j. 

IlilU'liiiimiii,  Intui  \V.,  1!H0,  .'IN,'!,  -I-U.n. 

iiiiti-hiiiKoii,  Anii  m..  '.'SO,  ;in;i,  4-j:i 

lluti  liiiisiiii,  J  ml  Ml  III,  liHO. 

IIutoliiiiHiiii,  |<iliii,  .'1,'IU. 

llvilf,  1,.  Mil!  ,  1!()7. 

Irvine,  |i>lm  K.,  U\R. 

Irviii,  Koliirt  !.,  l<t(». 

Irvlii,  C.ro,  W  ,  .'KMi. 

Jiukins,  [nhii, '.tl.  I'M),  \h:\,  l  s  (..  i<i2, 

'-''■•7,  i.':ni,  ri7:i.  i'hu,  L'ltw. 
JackiiiH,  ('.union,  l«-!->,  150. 
jnikiiiH  .V  \Vri«lit,  2Hl»,  ."los 
Jnrntt,.!.  M  ,  I  Hi,  1(52,  2!tl 
Jnrvi!*,  I,. mis  P.,  (><»,  26;i. 
ji-flrfrHi)ii,  K.  11,,  2(14. 
JcflTfrson,  Miss  Adeline,  .'11  1. 
JcnniMDii,  A.  II..  .'is;!. 
JeiiniHun,  CIiuh.,  ;IH.S. 
JenkiiiH,  Svlvaniiti,  1(>1,  21'.i 
JcnkinH,  Norman,    101,  li)2,  2()n,  21{>, 

275. 
Jcnks,  C.  C,  IS.'l,  1M7,  IMS.  ; 
Jewett,  S.  A.,  ITiO,  2M7,  .'llO. 
JiKlim,  Mr.  C,  225,  .'nn,  :il«. 
John»<in,  Dr.    A.    K.,    21(5,    22.'".,    2y(», 

;iM  1 . 
JiihilHOil,  II.  S.  n.,  27H,  :t(l.'i,  ."11(5. 
JohnNiin,  Ceil.  H.  \V.,    .'1(5,   J..*!,  7;i,    112, 

John.Hon,  JoH.  S..  144,   ir.d.    241.    275, 

2H7. 
Jolin.Mon,  I'nroonM  K.,  11. 
Johnson,  \V.  K.,  .•12S. 

.•182. 

Johnsim,  Clias.,  .'Ik;!. 
Jo'ies,  Mrs,  \V.  U.,  1 


.'Id.'.. 


2«.2. 

2()n, 


-'(•4 


Johnson,  C  \V 
Johnson,  Clias 
Jo'ies,  Mrs,  \V.  U., 
Jones,  J.  I'.,  4. 
Jones    Win.  Iv.,  I'.tl 
Jones,  Will.,  1512. 
Jones    ludKe  H.  S.,  25." 

;12(5,".'127,  .'l.'l.'l. 
Jones,  II.  v.,  2,'*'.l.  .•|()7 
Jones,  S,  II..  2N>l. 
Jones,  lesse  ("..,  .'1(17. 
Jones,  J.  II.,  ;i.'l.'5,  ."ir.U. 
Jones,  .Miss  Sarah  I..,  ,'i:jn. 
Jornenson,  Alex.,  .'{H.'l. 
Jmlil.  Walker  ^'  Co.,  (5(5. 
Jmhl,  II.  S.,  2()(». 
Jtiiid,  Win,  S.,  2()(). 
Kassnla  llros.,  2.'>2. 
Kean.  W.  11.,  lilO. 

Henry  C,  144, 


■.(5. 
323. 

\r>,  2!>H,  :i(>4,  310, 
I2M. 


Keith, 

3t(l 
Keith, 

.'11  HI, 
Keith, 
KelloKK,  M. 
Kellv,  (I.  11. 
Kelly,  V.  II. 


Dr. 
:il(), 
Asa, 


Oeo.   n. 
;51.->,   .'II '.I 


1  .-•.  1 , 

2:i.'i. 
.•i:i.' 


".lit,  2<.iH. 


242,  201, 
2SH,   304, 


27(5, 
N.,  2(5, 

,  111,  421. 

,  307,  .'too,  323,  3r.«,  361. 
Kellv,  .\iithonv,  .'l()7,  .'i2.'l,  3.'i«. 
KelloKK,  .N.,  .'I2.'5. 
Kennedy,  J.  J.,  224,  2r><.l,  27(5. 
Kennedv,  .Miss,  27N. 
Kennedy,  Dr.  K.  M,,  3H3. 
Kessler,  (i"*-.  2()!>. 
Kinil.all,  A.  C,  2'J2,  3O0. 


121, 


.'IIO. 


Kimlmll.  \\m.  M.,  30(5.  308,  317,321-, 

32(5,  327, 
KinK,  Chas.,  Hid.  207,  2tt». 
KitiK,  .Mrh.  A..  211,  224. 
KiiiK,  S.  II..  .'(.'Id. 
KiiiK,  Daiiii  IC,  .'l.'l.'i. 
KiiiK,  (>.  II  ,  :i.'l.'-.. 
KiiiK.  I    II  .  .'137, 
Kill),',  'riios.  S.,  .'IMl. 
KiiiK,  Win.  S.,  32(1,  32!l.  .'l.'Ml,  3>i.'S. 
KillKsley,  C.,  !>1,  KIN,  2>.I2, 
KinKslev,  Dr.  Ira.    02,   ION,   11.''.. 

204,  210,  22.'.,  2(5.1. 
Kissel,  I 'nil'.  A,  S,,  204. 
Kittson,  .N.  W  .  .'Id,  :\r>.  4H,  1(5(5. 
Kirkham,  H    W  ,  2.'5,  7(1,  1(51. 
KniKlit,  Miss  .Marv  I...  27M. 
Kniekerlioeker,    D.  H.,  2SU,   205, 

.'II  I,  31  S,  322,   33.'".. 
Knott,  l-'raiu-JH,  1<.I2. 
Kilolilaiivli,  .\ntoii,  .'IH3. 
Knowltoii,  Wirani,  7.'l,  1()3. 
Ko|i|i,  CasiH-r.  I'.id. 
Krayenliiihl,  C...  4M.'l. 
I.oliHtiiiiere,  Isaae,  2.'>3. 
I.undri,  C,  l.T. 
Kane,  ."^ilas,  01. 
I.ntic,  Isaac  ',:.,  t»l,  302. 
l.nnKley  llros,  3S3. 
I.ninliert,  lidwanl,  .'5.s;i. 
Liimrd,  W.  I,.,  02,   1  20,   121,   I'.il. 
I.ar|K-nttier,  A.  I...  11. 
I.asehelles.  Win..  3d(l,  310,  3(5(1. 
I.umlerdale.  W.  II..  242,  24H,  307. 
I.avallee,  Daniel,  210. 
I.ariiwiiy,  O.  M.,  30(5,  .'ION,    320, 

3.'".0. 
Lawrence,  Jas.  W.,  .'Id.'i,  3d7.         ' 
Lawrence,  J,  C,  1(12. 
Lawrence,  JaincM   K.,   .'1(12,   .'Id.'l, 

307,  312.  32S. 
Layman,  Martin,  141,  14.'*,  241, 
Lawrence,  S.,  311-. 
Lay,  Capt.  (5e<i.  W..  1  1,  41. 
LeaminK,  Alon/o,  201. 
Lecount,  Aiitoine,  210. 
Ledon,  Kev.,  22r.,  23H. 
LeDiic,  W.  <;.,  Kl.T,  100 


33: 


.'t04, 
350. 


LeDnc,  J.,02,l(52, 

2H0,  201,  310,  327. 
Lee,  John,  32S,  383. 
Lennon,  J.  ('..,  lid,  ll.'. 


,  428. 
11,  230,  27(1,  27(5, 


142,  140,  1(58, 


1(50,  2(13,  207,  224, 

2(5(5. 

Lennon,  Jas.  A.,  143, 

153,  1 

•24, 

Leonard,    Dr.    W.    II. 

272 

220 

310 

31  r.,  3.'>8. 

Lelloiitillicr,    Dr.    C. 

W  . 

278, 

201 

315     32.'-.. 

Levillier,  Ilenj.,  210. 

Lewis,  Ivli  I-,,  01,  130 

,  213. 

Lewis,  David,  33.'l. 

Lewis,  I.    1,,    01,    138 

130, 

141, 

17(5 

207,  21(5,   235,   241 

280. 

201. 

311 

312.  « 

Lewis,  Samuel  .\,.  .'110. 
Lililiy,  Jos..  120. 
Lililiv,  Miss  Lvilia,  238. 
Linton,  T.  .N  ,"205. 
Lind,  Dr.  J.  |.,  381. 
Little,  llenrv,  3H3. 
LinllthKow,  Wni.,  218,  222. 
Lippincott,    lid  ward,     1(52,   207, 

2(5.'l,   208,   .'l«d. 
Livingston,  David.  18(J. 
Loomis,  C  I-;.,  11."). 
I.oomis,  C.  (;.,02,  120,  1(54,  101, 
Loomis,  D.  II.,  (55. 
LonKfclIow  IJros.,  2d4. 


i24. 


298. 


<H-hrc-ii,  Wii,      iT,-.    .,.,, 


»M)i:x. 


vii 


I.OV.J„v,.|,,|„l   I,      .■,.,„ 

'•<«.vc,  hi.  n.,  .loi'  •  •'•'"• 

K  V4  Itlu         %  t  I       1 


ii»; 


•-iKlliiiii.  ;„|,„    .,„ 
M«f.lon„l,|,  ,,  1,7,    '•  -.  I;'- 

M/iloiiv,  l<   t'     ■••>- 

M.uit.,n,  K.v.  /    k'.;'.   " 

Ma";;'::;:;,^: -'ri  'oo!-;^:.. 

A«"r«iuiii,  \vi„  iV   ,',v  ;;" 

"•"ttNOtl      S      il        -ftZ 

MfiHservrv'    iT.  i 

*J"y"ii..(.  II.  -W 

Mtiifpr,  Tr,-„,v.  u'd  '     "   ■ 

••'«o.  .•)«",'■  ^- J  •-'■>'■'. .«).;.  .1,8.  350. 
«1'"'!L' •'"'"'. -'lit 

;^;:yj-".  o.  c.:  :..„, ,,,. ,,,  ^^^ 
^i»:  -:^^.  .io,  '^,  --;  ;;;;t.  .,o, 

MccaiH.  .,„„•„: 'j;., 

McCn  n.  Mrs.  s'  T,;.'!- 
McCain,  J.  c     ..V.r-^- 

i,'^Aii.iM.-;,„s::  55+ 

Mol)..u«all|,ros    ThV 

Km',',;"'- !""""■« 
McuS'k, ;;;,;,  »■•,  ""■  ■«*. 

Mcl.cod.     M„i.      V. 


■i«:i. 


INfl.' 

"Ml.  ai.s,  ;ii,, 

■  I M^. '-•'■'■*•  '">.  ''or. 
^'^•j4,  170.  i»a,aa4. 


-'or., 


IIK, 


M, '■•■0. 
ol.cod.     M,,v      V 

Mc;u-(.<i,  r.co.  ir„  y,,, 

McNair,  \v    \v     -i^-   !,"• 


-  ••>•-..    a  10. 


^''■t'ariinrd,  I    r     -loj. 
\  cl.,.rn.-.v,  VhoV;  y7M- 

.^':|.  '"•■<!.  .i..i...:.N 

•Mil  lillaiK  ,  II    1-     ..J.,- 

^lrK:.a.,,.(.,|,,,'v._  .,„,, 
•Mil.  (iiiii,  I    L-      •><!•      .1.,,, 

*''  .-aliM,,,  John  " 

AI.Kinnr.v.  H.  |.; 

\I      '"•."    ".-'11. 
,  \""'r.  "St.ph.n. -Kill 

I  M..orf.  p..  w.,  7H. 

M"«'n-,  Wni.,  L'U 

'  Moorr,  I),  s,  li.-,.?" 

Mowir,  .\r.,  «A  '"• 
M.M.  t„n..f.  II,.  n 
Mc.ii  t„n.  |.;iij„  ,    ,,, 
^'"•''t.  Willis  <;.    ,45 

^'"•lit.    Mi.KS,    JO7 

;•"">•  -''O-l-.    1  j,  ■  -.^   "•.'■.'V'""''' 
;ir.<i.        ■    "'■  "'-".  -I-'?,  ;ia:i 

^'•"•Kan,  A.  f.,  y.,,, 

o;:?^"»^'xi.,^nS.:.i!-'  -- 

-=;:;^i^u:.ife^--'.-.. 

.,•■"£■  .•'<7:.C"'*'^''-'"«-  •«««.. loo: 

^'"'••■s.  ICliii.s    -il        •  ■''°- 
"^I'Milton,    I)    I.-'  ■ ;,-,     .  , 
-'-■+.  .UK         ■'  '-''•  "'".   Hi!',  l-(ll 

M"^".  II.  I-.,  lo- 
Miirpli.v.  A.  c   <•"  li^^.. 

M-ni.h.v,  I,,.,  r.'li' !,';•,.'/*-•   '"O. 


ir.r.,  11.2,  a, „ 
>"«r..  Ida,  i-oa, 


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INDEX. 


1  'h 


Murphy     Edward,    31,  92,  126,  135, 

14H,  164,  188,  203,   204,  215,   227, 

230,  241,  254,  273,   289,  298,  308, 

312,  317,  318,  324,  327,  332.  I 

Murphy,  Ira,  168,  161 ,  285. 
Murphie,  Henrietta,  315. 
Murray,  Wm.  F.,  260. 
Munson,  J.  W.,  295. 
Munson  Bros.,  162. 
Muhlenberg,  Herman,  383. 
Murray,  John,  Jr.,  303,  311,  359. 
Myriek,  Nathan,  Y,  12. 
Nash,   Z.    E.    B.,    162,  190,  192,  224, 

254,  260,  263,  398. 
Nash,  Edgar,  162,  224,  270. 
Nash,  Mrs.  Z   E.  B.,  200. 
Nash,  Geo.  A.,  278. 
Neill,  E.  I).,  39,  43,  46,  108,   136,  226, 

315,  333,  395. 
Newcomb,  C.  A.,  92,  105. 
Nichols,    Rev.    H.    M.,  200,  226,   240, 

322,  328. 
Nickerson,  J.  Q.  A.,  91. 
Newton,  Phineas  B.,  383. 
Newton,  Wm.  J.,  383. 
Newton,  Frank  H..  383. 
Newton,  Thos.  R.,  383. 
Newton,  J.  C,  383. 
Noah,  J.  J.,  166. 
Nobles,  Wm.  H.,  205,  210. 
North,  John  W.,91,  93,  108,  109,121, 

170,  193,  208,  209,  216,  224,   254, 

292    332. 
North'rup,  Anson,  91,  119,  121,  135, 

145,  148,  188,   192,  194,   203,   236, 

312,  a80. 
Northrup,  Mrs.  Anson,  360. 
Noot,  Wm.,  19,  226. 
Nourse,  Geo.  A.,  235,  292,  298,  313. 
Nobles,  Jerry  S.'  383. 
Nobles,  Daniel,  383. 
Nobles,  A.  S.,  383. 
Nobles,  J.  H.,  333. 
Nodeker,  J.  M.,  359. 
Nutting,  Rev.  F.,  200,  211. 
Nutting,  Gen.  Levi,  200. 
O'Brien,  Frank,  319. 
Odf'l,    Simeon,    144,    152,    192,  205, 

2^ni      291. 

Officer,  Harvey,  318. 

Olds,  M.  L.,  232,  260,  309. 

Oliver,  Dea.  A.  M.,  143,  153,  318. 

Olmsted,  David,  42,  88,  237. 

Olmsted,  S.  B.,  257. 

Orth,  John,  179,  207,  225,  263. 

Ortman,  Dr.  A.,  315. 

Orthoudt,  Josiah,  248,  291,  311. 

Oswald,  Henry,  306,  307,  381. 

Oswald,  John  C,  143,  307. 

Owens,  J.  P.,  30,  37. 

Oxborough,  Thos.,  251. 

Paine,  D.  L.,  190,  382. 

Paine,  J.  M.,  381. 

Palmer,  Deacon,  292. 

Palmer,  Rev.   Lvman,    30.    174,  187, 

225. 
Parsons,  Wm.  J.,  255,  260,  310. 
Parker  Bros.,  254. 
Parker,  D.,  306. 

Parker,  B.  B.,  92,  142,  149,  172. 
Parker,  L.  N.,  91,  143,  152. 
Parks,  Geo.,  143,  150,  183,  205,  265. 
Past,  J.  E.,318,  336. 
Patch,  Ed.,    16,    93,    119,    120,    212, 

225,  298,  383. 
Patch,  Wallace,  383. 
Patch,  Lewis,  383. 
Pa>..:b,  Gibson  S.,  383. 


I'atch,  Luther,  16,  383. 

Partridge,  H.  A.,  295,  304,  332. 

I  earl,  J.  H.,  319. 

Pearl,  Mrs.  J.  H.,  278. 

Pease,  Silas,  192. 

Perkins,  Oscar,  260. 

Perkins.  Winslow  T.,  295. 

Perkins,  John  B.,  252. 

Perkins,  French,  248. 

Perkins,  Dr.  E.  R..  247. 

Perkins,  Thos.  H.,  247,  292. 

Pettijohn  Titus,  145,  205,  240. 

Pettit,  C.H.,271,276,   289,  299,300, 

304,  308,  314,  318,  328,  329. 
Pettijohn,  Eli,  16,  143,  148,  183,  192, 

218. 
Peters,  Dennis.  143,  150. 
Peddington,  J.,  175,  224,  278. 
Pendergast,  W.  W.,  293,  383. 
Phinncy,  W.  S.,  310. 
Phillips  James,  199,  273,  383. 
Phillips,  N.  O.,  120. 
Pierce,  Thos.  W.,  155,  156,  205,  275, 

291. 
Pierce,  Washington,  383, 
Pike,  John,  219. 
Pillsbury,  John  S.,278,  308,  317,  323, 

327    333. 

C,   206,  210,  226,  241. 


P.,   241,   253,  254,   292, 


284. 


Plummer,  H. 

318,  336. 
Plummer,  J. 

298,  321. 
Plummer,  R.  W.,  311. 
Plummer,  L.  P.,  334,  382. 
Potvin,  Jos.,  16,  120,  186. 
Pope,  Maj. -Gen.  John,  25. 
Pollock.  David  A.,  383. 
Pollock,  John,  383. 
Pomeroy,  Mrs.,  335. 
Pomeroy,  Bates  &  Co. 
Poncin,  Peter,  205. 
Pond,  S.  W.,  Jr.,  383. 
Pond,  Rev.  S.  W.,   48,   51,  53,  55,  58, 

210. 
Pond,  Rev.  G.  H.,    37,    48,  51,  54,  58, 

60,     88,    136,    186,    207,    223,    226, 

286,  385,  398. 
Potts,  F.  R.,  83. 
Powers,  Geo.  M.,  200,  293. 
Pratt,  Job,  292. 
Pratt,  Nelson,  270. 
Pratt,  S.,  91,  144,  150. 
Pratt,  Rufus  L.,  92,  144,  150,  292. 
Propper,  Geo.  N.,  236. 
Prince,  J.  S.,  277. 
Prescott,  Hiram,  192. 
Prescott,  Geo.  W.,  193,  198. 
Prescott,  Philander,  8,  43,45,  01,180, 

207,  213,  218. 
Purdy,  H.  E.,  320,  359. 
Quinn,  Peter,  48,  186. 
Ramsey,  Alex.,  32,  33,  38,  39,  97,  100, 

109,  115,  242,  259,  285,  293,  327, 

405,  408. 
Ramsdell,  Mrs.  Edward,  160. 
Rand,  Mayor,  223. 

Rankin.  Dr.  S.  F.,  307,  315,  323,  328. 
Randall,  B.  H.,  131, 132, 183, 181,  419. 
Raiche,  Peter,  186. 
Rauen  Peter,  295. 

Ravoux,  Rev.  A.,  11,  48,  59,  108,186. 
Reed,  Jas.,  120. 
Reed,  A.  H.,  383. 
Reeve,  Mrs.  M.  C,  305. 
Reily,  M.  O.,  219. 
Reidhead,  John.  181,  302. 
Reno,  Capt.  J.  C,  141,  150,  1.54,  291, 

295,  308,  310,  317. 


IXDEX. 


:;85. 


.  r.ri. 


ii'j. 


:.'i,- 


+  jr). 


Kcynol.ls,  Uenrv.  .'iiT 

'<  KKs.  IJr.  S.  K.,  -ju    X^ 

<a-han  son,  r,c-,;.7.;.tia- 

Huhardson,  fisse    ••()-, 
Kiciardson,  K.  A[      -.;  . 
K'c-  innis,,,,,  ij.  \\'-'  ,::^.^ 
Kicliaril,  (k-(,.    '.f-;  "''" 
K'ce,  lidnioiui',  if.iV 
KiCf,  O.   W.,   •;;,;,      .,•... 
Ki'^'i',  JI.  M.,    4    .'.     1  , 

Kite,  Airs..  .■;;;-,    '  " 
Kifkcrs,  s    M      ■.-- 

i<;cii,  r<iv.  I.  n  ""•'.'.■,',, 

Kiel.,  Kcv.j.  i,.;:{7,- 

K'Ocrts.  C..,,,t.  I.ouis 
KolHtts,  Xailian.  l    li 

Kockty,    II.    I,       .-{if.       -■ 

Kolmmo,,,  ciias.,  -{0  7 
«ol)iiison.  s.  c     •iii; 
Kobinson,  W.  lV.,':ns 
Robinson,  A.  fi     iw,- 

Kohin'so,;,"!:;,  jr..   v.,-;,     ,„,.. 
l<"Ktrs,  Miss  I..  Af    Vfn       • 

Kosers.Ricbanl,  n"-/A^*- 
Kojrcrs,  Orrin,  224    -/^..T  "• 


ix 


!2i;. 

1,S2 


Km, 


il-l- 


i: 


gose,  A.  H.,   ;in<).  • 

Kouse    A.  H.,   .sh.-j. 
Kowell,  Rev.  T.,   itq 

Kus.scll,  Rev.  A    A      '.■,. 

„-'H7    2,s,s,   30(k'   ••"■   -■+.   -'.-.0, 
RnssoU,  w.  A.,   in-    •-,'. 
Russell,  R.  P..    I  -     i  ,:    fi - 

-•■'-'.  ~'<io.   2-,.-.    l.r.,'   n^i- 


Sfconiho,  C    C      '>'>i 
i^ilC,  Thos.    Ki'J   "~ 
,^«--"'.v.J.  \V..   2ir. 
jetzcr,  (I.  .\I..  ,;,-; 
S  law,  N.  n.  &  <_•„. 
Shaw,  i;.  I...   ij,,,. 

^urbnrncj.  c,  L'<»H 

N.avcr.  Mrs..,anK..s  Ivir''' 
-"'->,  Mia vei,   [.-IS.    (r      i  v,-      r,"., 

«iJ:iev:'ii'^/i^-^".r-./'v.i'oo, 

^jnions,  I,.  G.,  ;i,s.-i      ' 
^""ipson,  A.,  r,r,      ■ 

tloTT',^'"'- •'■'"•■  -''■•" 

Jioaii,  John,  24K 
^  ocuni,  Chas.  II.,   -Jo-     ■ 
f;locuni,.Jas.,  ;!,s.-i  '  ' 

^"lUh,  lidwanl     i4.r, 

^mitli,  Sidney,  284-80 
....     ..*      5"'?!  ■•  '•^"•n.an  M.'  •-.  A 

rr''   ^-«'     i?'"It'M<obert,   14--,         • 
•i.i..,  viu9.     Sni  th    II    T     ..:.*•.' 


■ilO.   :!l,S. 
322. 


2Kr.. 


<.  +s.  r>,s 

1  <»'.).  241  ' 


24K, 


ilO,    38: 


-'«'.»,  2;il,  2118,  304, 


1  4(>. 
134,   382. 


121, 
21.-,, 

2.s;) 


1+3, 
230, 
31  2. 


1+2. 
253. 


Rtisscil    W    I.'      -.ViT,  - 

K«st,  Geo.  II.,  ;i5.  •  :  ' ''• 
I^van,  Patrick,  2f>.-i'^- 
Ryan,  Morris,  280  ' 
^abm,  Dr.  I.  I!.,  ;,,-. 

j^aitei,  Rti-.  C.  C     'i8i 
vSampson,  WarrenV2:i.j    - 

Zanders.  j\    n     »-.,'• 
vSanborn,  c.  I)'.',  ~l-Is 
Sanborn,  Rev.  A.  I).' 3..,; 
Savory.";:  Ilorton,  27.-r 
Savory,  Geo,  A.,  .334     '.■r;,, 
Sar^eant,  I    .\      -iv-i ' 

scofiei.i,  m';;  m:!^:.'-,   ,,. 

Schuler,  Poter.    21")  '   ~*"- 

Sc  iniitz  ^:  Dennis  ■,3-.- 
Schrappel,  I-eter,  33.1' 
^^'"tt  <\:  Alor^.an'  .3  vV 
Sehaefer,.J..,eob,  42+  ■ 
Senmans,  s  A  ■"-,  '' 
Seeondie.  D     a'  "1  du    -.^,. 


Smith,  D    T     •'8-' 
,  „  •''<»•'>,   33;-,.  "' 

I  Smith,  U-vi,    14;-,. 
Smith,  C.  K.,  l()., 
Smith,  \\„,.,  <,o    ;., 
Smith,  Kred.  I.., '307  '• 
Smith,  Miss    -•;■[         ■   • 
Smith,  \V.  k'     ;^r^,', 
2i".ith,Johi,,'.-iS3'  ■ 

Snyiler,  A.  (.,  ■..<")-i '  -jso 
Snyder,  c.  "l...   2'J3,'3.S3 
Snyder,  Sim. .11  P     ^n     /.w    ., 
Snyder   ^:   Mel-',Vl.7,„r  ."-'^  -•'-'••  'iS<'. 
Snyder,  Nutvul-ndi; --'',"'  -''"    •■'"^. 
Sno^v,Cyn,s'      '     '•ni":;V'"'      ="^- 


3  so. 


^""W,  I."m      i<,.) 
Sorin,  Rev.  S.,   iTio 
Simnldin^r,  y    jj     ^,-., 
S(.a  lord.  Wni.  V.,  ;io,j 
Spadord,  David  P      '. 
Spear,  s.  p.,  :...,-,,   0.7,,' 
Spear,  J.  11..  270    "87 
-S>H,  31().  "      ' 

Speneer.  He'iii..   •'(•,3 
Silencer.  Dr.  Kirbv.' 3(i() 
SH„,„er,  \V„,.,    ,o,\, •.'/,'], 

st::;;;;:i"s!^li-]l;--'rc^: 


1,    218. 

303. 
-so,  2;)i. 


3ir>. 


2!l.- 


Staneht.eld,  Samiiel,  2-4    -.8.. 
St^uiehheld.  Daniel,  1  n:t34ri  71.  2U4, 


1'^•^■  102. 


Stanit.j",',-;  J,      1,54 
StarniK.  Jonas.  2r.l 

-'-   7''.  >{■!.  +0,  40.  i-.r.     ,.,.•    i-J'   -+. 

210.    227     '"Iw     '.V^',    \T--'    ^f".    Kill. 
301.,  413'   "'■    '   "     *■•   -''■>•   -«1.  ^84 


INDEX. 


B.,    liH.-,    311,  313, 


Stearns,    C.    T.,    91,    100,    159,    HiO, 

ltJ7,  20+.  206,  207,   210,   2.'J7. 
Stephens,  Hnos,    92. 
Stevens,     Simon,     92,    124,    145,   180, 

204,  205,   306, 
Stevens,  I.  I.,  212. 
Stevens,  A.,  215. 
Stevens,  W'tn.,  92. 
Stevens,  Kev.  J.  I).,  9. 
Stewart,  Levi  H.,  307,  3H.'!. 
Stillman,  H.  K.,  219. 
Stinson,  W.,  92,  141,  102,   192. 
Stinson,  Thos.,  144.  150. 
Stimson,  Daniel  T.,  27M. 
Stimson,  C.  T.,  16,  15M,   204,  333. 
vStonc,  Alvin,  119,  224. 
Stone,  l.,ew»s,  91. 
Stone,  Prof.   Geo. 
31 S,  335,  361. 
Stone,  Martin  B.,  322.  ! 

Stone,  Boomer  &  noyntf)n,  2S8.  | 

Stough,  Samuel,    145,  155,   IsO,  292, 

292. 
Stoiish,  Miss,  207. 
Stoiighton,  O.  W.,  237. 
Stoddard,  N.   E.,   143,   30H,   213,   258. 
Strout,  Richard,    293,  314,  360,  361. 
Stratton,  I..  W.,  393. 
Sully,  Deacon,    144,    151,    310,    318, 

330,   337. 
Swett,  Geo.  \V.,  245. 
Swett,  O.  T.,  295,  327,   332,  333. 
Symonds,  Chas.,  21,5. 
Swift,  Henry  A.,  405. 

Tnhoiir,  I..  T.,  272. 

Talliott,  J.  II.,   332. 

Tavlor.  1.  I..,   89. 

Tyfer,  Elmer,  91,  107,  175,  190. 

Taylor,  N.  D.  C,  92.  215. 

Taylor,  H.  B.,  321. 

Tavlor,  Gen.  Zachariah,  2. 

Tapper.  Capt.    John,    84,    104,    178, 
194,   260,   360. 

Thatcher,  Samuel,  102,  100,  170,  336. 

Thavcr,  I).  B.,  253. 

Tennv,    John     L.,     129,      204,     2^3, 
311". 

Thomas,  Uriah,  271,  322,  327. 

Thompson,  A.  I*.,  192. 

Thompson,  Benj.,  215. 

Thompson,  J.  H.,  328,  334,  330. 

Thompson,  Miss,  278. 

Thorndyke,  l\,  219,    304. 

Thornton,  Mrs.  329. 

Thurber,  J.  W.,   305. 

Tibbitts,  Nathaniel,  162. 

Timpson,  C.  L.,  120. 

Titus,  Mrs.  Julia,  311. 

Titus,  M.  S.,  180,  192. 

Tirrill,  C.  B.,  292. 

Todd,  J.  B.  E.,  41. 

Todd,  Wm.  A.,  284,  311. 

Towne.  Miss  E.  A.,  318. 

Towno,  Mrs.,  360. 

Townsend,  Wm.  H.,  176,  292,  304. 

Townsend,  Robert,  219. 

Townsend,  Henry,  240.  ' 

Townsend,  Miss  Mary,  244. 

Townsend,  Geo.  W.,  270. 

Townsend,  Dennison,  292. 

Tourtelotte,  SylvanuH,  159,  162. 

Trask,  S.,  65. 

Trader,  I.  H..  224,  20O. 

Tracv,    >S.    M.,    191,    209,    224,  245, 
312. 

Tufts,  J.  C,  262,  312. 

Tury,Jos.,  309. 

Tuttle,  Wm    G.,  192,  205. 


Tuttle,  Calvin    A.,     15,     16,     86,105, 

108,    120,   128,   107,108,   109,    17."., 

180,   203,   228,   2.'?ff,  271,  300,   309, 

318. 
T'pton,  R.  P.,  92,  115,  182,  224,  239, 

250,   289,    292,   298. 
Van  Cleve,  Mrs.  Charlotte,  Ouisconsin, 

431. 
Vanderburg,     C.    E.,     240,     287,    295, 

305,    309.   ;UO,   318,   319,   322. 
Van  Nest,  Hiram,  144,  155,   102,  235, 

318. 
Vater,  S.  1-..   237. 
Vnmer,  Chirk,  242. 
Varner,  Wm.  II.,  248. 
Van  En.nan,  Jos.,  332. 
Vail,  G.  T.,  92,   119,   224. 
Van  Vorhis,  A.,  109,  285. 
Van  Valkenburg,  K.,  292. 
Veine,  John,  219. 
Vroman  &  Crocker,  328. 
Wagoner,  E.,  187. 
Wagner,  Hiram  W.,  359. 
Wales,  W.  W.,  92,  198,  214,  239,  293, 

298,  310,  327,   333,  360. 
Wales,  John  S.,  192. 
Wales,  Geo.  N.,  192. 
Wales,  Isaac,  242. 
Wales,  W.  W.,  Jr.,  219. 
Walcott,  A.,  295,  310. 
Walcott,  -A..  &  Co.,  291. 
Walcott,  Miss,  335. 
Walcott,  Mrs.  Jane,  244. 
Walker.  E.    C,     152,     162,     237,  300, 

304,   318,  333. 
Walker,  John  S.,  333,  3.30. 
Walton  Bros.,   383. 
Wardswell,  Eben,  240. 
Warren,  L.  B.,  192. 
Warren,  P.,  187,  204. 
Warwick,  Thos.,  92,  219,  290. 
Ward.  C.  H.,   253. 
Washburn,  Gen,  W.  1).,  301,  303,  307, 

308,   3(t9,   314,   317,   332,   333,  361. 
Wass.John,   144,   154,  162,  192 
Whalen,  Henrv,  186,  206. 
AYhalen,  M.  S.",  186,  286. 
Wheelock,  Dr.,  277. 
Whedden,  G.  B.,  319. 
Wheelock,  H.  1).,  328. 
Wheeler,  W.  P.,  330. 
Wheeler  ^:  Nutting,  328. 
Wheelock,  J.  A.,  382. 
White,  Wm.,  383. 
Whitefield,  E.,  294. 
Whitney,  O.  T.,   135.  102. 
WhitneV,  Rev.    J.    C,    136,  202,  223, 
226,  230,   240,  241,  250,  259,  201, 
277,  309,  310,  358,   360. 
WhitcomI),  Capt.  (Jeo.  C,  361, 
Whitmore,  W.  S.,  334,  382. 
Whitstone,  Hobart,  172. 
Wilcox,    Carlos,    236,  250,   276,   283, 

284,   289,   300. 
Wilkinson,  M    S.,  65. 
Willey,  R.  C,  218. 
Willey,  Col.  P.  S.,  327. 
Williams,  Thos.  Hale,    195,  306,  315, 

326,   328,   .359. 
Wilhams,  Rev.  .\.  D.,  306,  310,  317. 
Williams,  J.  C.  307,  319,  327,  359. 
Williams,  John  G.,  315,  329. 
:  Williams,  E.  H.,  328. 
Williams,  J.  Pletcher,  332. 
Williams,  Capt.,  300,  307. 
'  WilHus,  Wm.,  05. 

,  Williamson,    Thos.    S.,  9.  29,  40,  58, 
I      59,   72,  80. 


IXDEX. 


XI 


Wilson,  J.  I'.,  92,   115,  UOT. 

Wilson,  H.     M.,     mo,     295,   299     ;i()r 

312,   319,   a25,    ;i(5(t,  ;{K() 
Wilson,.!.  L.,   182,   24l». 
Wilson,  friah,  293. 
Wilson,  (^.eo.  \V.,  31  .s 
Willis,  C.  1..,  215. 
Winnell,  IVter,  3()(). 
Winthrop,  W.  W.,  3(t7. 
Winslow,  Jus.  M..  313. 
WortliinKham,  Win.,    91,     114-      if! 

150.  • 

W<jrthinslmni,  Mrs.  Wm.,   92,   119 
Woods,    (Jen.  S;innicl.   25,   20,  4-1     74. 

79,   1+5.  ' 

Woodman,  Ivory  I".,   2SI-,   294- 
Woodman,  W.  W.,   292. 
Wood,  C  II.,  310,   332] 
Wolvcrton,  J.  A.,  31<>.  ,329. 
Woodwan:,  K.  K.,   2<i2. 
M'(jodbitry,  Wm.  W.,  3<3l . 


Wortliinfjlmm,  Bniorv,  ;!92 
WrinKlev,  W.,   30«. 
Wright,  Iv.  n.,   23(5. 
Webster,  llorat'f,  92.   145     1  s(; 
Webster,  C.  S.,  ;t2H. 
Webb,  J.  Kusscll,   295. 
;  Weeks,  S.  C,  .'U.S. 
Widstrnnd,  C.  A.,   2S9 
Welch.  W.  II..  91,    197. 
Welch,  Mai.  A.  K.,   197. 
Weld.  I.  C,   310. 
Weld,  J.  ().,  ,-!59. 
Welles,  llenrv  T.,  21(>, 

299,   3()t>,   ;!11,   ;{12, 

419. 
WensinKcr,  John,  92.   21 
West,  H.  B.,   204.   225. 
Weingart.  I'cter.  333. 
Young,  A.  K.,  92. 
Young,  J.  S.,   320. 
Young  Bros.,  310. 


.'44, 

n.s, 


2();!, 

319, 


27s 
325. 


